The Angel Returns
by Helena Mira
Summary: The Angel returns to help the Everetts understand the present situation with Phoebe and Trelawney following Uncle David's. Reading the "Promises" stories will help in understanding the context.
1. Chapter 1

_Reading the four "Promises" stories will help in the understanding of this story. This continuing sage begins with the story "Love Makes A Family."_

_Allusion is made to the first season episode "Tyrannosaurus Tibia." Can you find it?_

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from their use._

**The Angel Returns**

**Prologue**

The creation of a blended family is always a tricky process. Often what starts out as a romantic notion, can evolve into a rather large muddle as the various different members of the family discover more about each other. As new chemistries evolve between family members, sometimes difficult and unanticipated tensions may arise. When Phoebe Figalilly married Professor Harold Everett it was a love-match celebrated by all who knew them.

It seemed to be a match made in heaven, complete with all the trappings of a star-crossed love affair and the complications to make the story all the more enchanting. It seemed to be a Cinderella-style drama culminating with the marriage of the lovely, young nanny with the handsome, older professor. However, included in the deal were Hal's three children and Phoebe's younger sister.

Shortly thereafter, Phoebe became pregnant and the ideal of "love making a family" changed to a very real life situation. Adding to the complexity, Phoebe did not have the support of most her family members back in England. Balancing this was the relocation of Hal's parents, Rob and Catherine, up the street to help the newly made family get through these early growing pains. A local pastor was also playing no small role in helping everyone adapt to the new living arrangement and family dynamic.

Pastor Jason had come into the lives of the Everett family seven months ago, when they had become involved in a large multi-church service project. Although he was not the pastor of their own church, working alongside members of the family as they rehabbed a home for a local family, he had helped them through a rough patch with both Phoebe, at that time Nanny, and her sister Trelawney. He had continued to help them throughout the school year, but eventually the whole family had come to rely on him for his wisdom and advice.

Pastor Jason had been away from town since February. He had been called to a synod meeting in Missouri, coincidentally while Uncle David Figalilly, their father's brother and now _paterfamilias _of the Figalillys, was visiting his two nieces. He was there to see how things were going first hand, concerned by the conflicting reports from previous family members who had visited, that something was amiss. This directly concerned him, because the younger sister, Trelawney Rose, was still under his aegis as family head.

Jason was sure that in the course of the three-week visit, he could not have avoided him. He had no doubt that the man would know him for who he was. This would have been potentially harmful to all of them. Once his true identity was disclosed, he would have to leave the area for good. The family still needed him.

He was sure that both the sisters' cousin Emmeline and Aunt Henrietta had told him of his presence in the lives of Phoebe and Trelawney. They knew that one such as him was there, but they did not know who he was. He was specifically there to guard Trelawney, but he was watching over Phoebe and her unborn daughter as well. He knew that Uncle David had left Trelawney where she was when he returned to England. Rob Everett would surely have sent him word if there were any danger of her leaving.

He was not surprised when first thing on Monday the phone rang and it was Catherine Everett calling to make an appointment. The Everetts had obviously learned a great deal about Phoebe and Trelawney from their uncle. No doubt they couldn't understand half of it. He was unsure of how much that he should tell her.

He supposed that it would be best to let her do the talking and try to figure out how much David had told them. He would then have to try to answer their questions without raising any more suspicions. He was in a tricky spot. The Everetts needed enough information to effectively care for the girls, but not enough to learn the true nature of their people.

Then his phone rang again and it was Phoebe. She also wanted to speak with him in person. He was immediately put on guard. Whatever had happened during the visit, they were both very confused and upset. He also knew that if Trelawney could, she would call him, but he expected that she presently was in school. Catherine sounded more confused than upset. Phoebe was more upset than confused. He needed to talk to a cooler head.

After he got off the phone with Phoebe, Catherine's husband Rob called, also looking for an appointment. Good, he thought, now I have my cooler head. As he was essentially the _paterfamilias_ of the family and a man of noble character, excellent judgment, and sound _gravitas_, Jason knew that he could count on him for a more dispassionate view of the circumstances. It was not that the women were by any means overemotional. It was simply that Rob was better able to think from his head, rather than his heart.

He looked at his appointment book. Catherine, then Phoebe, then, Rob. After thinking for a moment after Rob's name he penciled in Trelawney. He would ask Catherine to bring her in after he had spoken with the adults. He knew that the other three were all coming in to speak primarily about her, so he might as well finish off his day with her.

He had a lot of work to catch up on for the church since he had been away for so long. But right now this was his most important work. It would require his singular focus for the day. No doubt he would spend the night in prayer looking for guidance. Angels don't have all the answers. But unlike most humans, they certainly know where to get them.

**Trelawney's Thoughts**

Trelawney had been most disappointed when her Uncle David had placed her in the care of her Mama Kate. Of course she loved Mama Kate very dearly. There was no one in the world that was quite like her Mama Kate. It seemed that God had taken everyone else away from poor Trelawney. Mum and Papa were with Him in heaven. Phoebe was down the street with the Professor. Even Emmeline was far away because Uncle David had told her to stay away. But Trelawney was not entirely alone. She still had her Mama Kate.

She was very good to her after Uncle David left. She told her that she didn't have to go to school. She would be allowed to stay home so that she could spend her days with her Phoebe. It was really quite astounding how her Mama Kate knew that that would cheer her up more than anything else.

She normally didn't like to think about herself. It was much easier to think about other people. That's what Mum had always taught her. She must think of others first. God had made her special. She was there to serve others. She understood things that most other people could not. Someday she would be like Phoebe and go out into the world and serve others.

But Papa said that Mum was foolish to fill her head with ideas of going out into the world. Those such as Trelawney, he said, were not meant to roam. They were meant to stay at home. The people in the outside world would not understand her. They might hurt her or take advantage of her. They might think that she was so odd that they would put her in a hospital and give her pills to make her "better." They would say that her lovely stories were delusions. Papa made it sound scary and he wanted to keep Trelawney safe always. The outside world could take care of itself.

It was really the only time that Mum and Papa ever disagreed. Except when Mum whistled. But really they didn't disagree about that. Papa would just go fishing. He didn't like it when she whistled. Mum told her a secret once about her whistling. She knew that it annoyed Papa, so whenever she had a fancy for fish, she whistled. Papa always brought home the loveliest and most delicious fish.

So that Papa could not figure out the secret, Mum taught her how to conceal her thoughts. She said that it was an important thing for her to learn. All Figalillys and Trelawneys could know what the others were thinking, if they wanted to. All of the Figalillys and Trelawneys were most curious about her thoughts, so she listened to Mum. She wasn't sure of exactly why they were so interested in her thoughts, but she figured that it was because she knew things that other people didn't know.

But now Mum and Papa were in heaven. Sometimes they smiled because Trelawney was happy. But sometimes they looked sad and worried. They didn't want Trelawney or Phoebe to be sad, but they were. They missed them. Mum and Papa were angels, but not angels like Pastor Jason. They were the kind of angels who stayed at home, in heaven. Pastor Jason was the kind of angel that roamed. He was a very good angel. He was like Phoebe. He wanted make the world a better place. But he was very special to her. He was her guardian angel.

Trelawney didn't know why he was picked. She did not have a guardian angel until Mum and Papa went to heaven and she went to Phoebe. Then, poor Phoebe was very sad because Mum and Papa went away. She was beginning to realize that she was in love with the Professor and that made her very, very sad because she thought that she could never marry him. But she was wrong.

She was so sad sometimes that she didn't have time for Trelawney. So Trelawney was all alone. She liked to curl up with her doll Tessa in a little ball and pretend that Mum and Papa were still there and she was home with them in the village. She wondered if her Mum and Papa had asked for an angel for her. It would be just like Papa to do that. He would know that Mum wanted her to be with Phoebe. But she knew that she couldn't stay with Phoebe unless she had an angel like Pastor Jason to look after her.

Perhaps God knew that without Pastor Jason one of them, Mum or Papa that is, would be very sad. But she didn't know that either. She could see Mum and Papa but she couldn't hear them speak. It was not allowed. She didn't understand why her Phoebe couldn't see them. But she supposed that it was one of the ways that she was different from Phoebe and all the others who lived in the village. And of course no one on the outside could see, except for Pastor Jason of course. Pastor Jason could see everything.

But since Uncle David left, she had spent more time with her Phoebe than she had in what felt like forever. Of course forever is a very long time, but it felt that way. Every day, after Butch and Prudence got on their bus to go to school, Phoebe came up to Mama Kate's to play with her. They played with the dollhouse house, just like they used to when Trelawney was little and Phoebe came home to visit.

Uncle David had very kindly brought the dollhouse to her from home. She knew that Mimsy and Tansy, who lived there, had missed them very, very much. Phoebe had been very sad when she saw that she had taken Mimsy out of the dollhouse after Uncle David left. She said that Tansy looked very lonely without her.

But Trelawney did not have to say anything about that. She looked at Phoebe and Phoebe knew that she was feeling like Tansy. When Trelawney couldn't find the words to say things, her dolls said them for her. Phoebe knew that. She made her put Mimsy back in the house and promised that someday they would live together again. It was one of their secrets.

The day that Uncle David left, Phoebe had come back to her. She said that she could feel the pain in her heart. She didn't even say goodbye to them at home. She just came. She sat in the rocking chair and let her cry. Phoebe cried a little too. Then Mum and Papa came in the sunbeam to warm them up. Even Phoebe knew it.

Trelawney stopped crying. She couldn't cry when Mum and Papa were there. They were there to make them happy. They couldn't make them really happy, but they could stop them from crying. The sunbeam was warm and it felt as though they were hugging them. Trelawney missed their real hugs, especially Mum's.

They spent the whole afternoon together. They talked and they talked about so many things. They talked about Mum and Papa. Phoebe told her stories about the times before she had been born. Trelawney told her stories about times when Phoebe was away. Sometimes they were the old stories that they liked to tell over and over again. Sometimes they were new stories that they had never told each other before. They were their stories. They belonged to them and no one else. They helped them feel like Mum and Papa were still with them. It would have been lovely if they had been living in the same house. But they weren't. It was not allowed.

Phoebe tried to tell her that the Professor really didn't want her to go away. But Trelawney knew she was wrong. Phoebe loved him so much that she didn't want to believe that Trelawney bothered him so much. Uncle David knew. Uncle David was truly her good uncle because he loved her enough to let her stay near her Phoebe. That's why he gave her to Mama Kate. When Uncle David was giving her away, Trelawney learned something. Nobody told her. She just knew it. God had sent her Mama Kate and Mr. Everett to her.

When Phoebe had married the Professor, it was because God was going to send her Maisie. So Phoebe must be concerned with Maisie. When Mums are pregnant and then when their babies are very tiny, they must give them all of their attention. She knew that because when Christabel had her little boy, she would go to her house and play with her little girl. Christabel had to be most concerned with little Davey. But there was lots of other family to help with her little girl, Libby. There was always someone there for her. That's the way that families were at home.

But here in America, there was no one to be concerned with Trelawney. The Everetts did not have a family like the Figalillys at home. At home the Figalillys all lived in the same village, except for those who roamed. In America, Everetts all lived in places far away from each other. And there were not very many of them at all.

The Professor only had two brothers who had never married and had no children. There were no other aunts or uncles or cousins that she had ever met. It was most peculiar. They didn't see each other very often. When people came to visit, they brought the children lots of presents. Trelawney liked the Figalillys better. They didn't need all those presents. They had each other.

So God decided that Mama Kate should come for the blessing and stay to take care of Trelawney. She knew that Mum would want someone to be concerned with her. It was only right. Trelawney now felt special because she had an angel _and_ her Mama Kate. But she still felt that she would be luckier if she had her Mum and Papa. Now Mama Kate was taking care of Phoebe too. And the way that she took care of Phoebe meant that she was taking care of Maisie. That's because Mama Kate was truly good, like Mum. They both did things for other people.

Trelawney felt sad for all the people in the world who didn't believe in God, like her cousin Emmeline. Sometimes she thought that God had a sense of humor. When she knew that Emmeline was going to California to tell Phoebe about Mum and Papa, Trelawney prayed and prayed that she would take her with her. She also cried and cried. She refused to eat. She told them that if she couldn't be with her Phoebe then she wanted to be with her Mum and Papa. That made them scared. But she really meant it. She did not conceal her thoughts. She wanted her Phoebe or her Mum and Papa. And that was all there was to it.

Uncle David and all the Figalillys said that she should go to her Phoebe. They did not want her to go to her Mum and Papa. Emmeline promised that they would collect Phoebe and come directly back to England. But it didn't work out that way. Normally, Trelawney thought that it was very wrong when people broke their promises. But this time she was glad.

She knew that Phoebe had been very happy when she was able to stay with the Everetts, but she didn't know why. Trelawney knew why. She knew that it was because the Professor was going to save them from Phoebe's ex-fiancé. But that happened later. Now Cousin William was keeping him away so he could never come back to hurt them. Cousin William didn't believe in God either, but he was doing His work anyway. Yes, she thought, God certainly did have a sense of humor.

Grandfather Trelawney and all the Trelawneys said that she should stay home. They said that Trelawney really did not mean it when she said that she would go to her Mum and Papa. She was a bad girl and was trying to manipulate them so that she could get her way. He said that Mum had spoiled her because she was her only little girl after Phoebe went away to roam. They said that Emmeline was spoiled too. None of the Trelawneys really liked Emmeline. They said that she was a bad influence on Phoebe and Trelawney.

They said that they should send Phoebe a telegram and make her come home. Trelawney didn't know what a telegram was, but Emmeline explained that it was a piece of paper and Phoebe would read it all alone. She was very far away in America and would have a very, very long trip home. She would have to come all by herself. Emmeline didn't want that and neither did Trelawney. And it really didn't matter what Grandfather Trelawney thought. Now that Papa was gone, Uncle David was her _paterfamilias_. That was all that mattered.

Trelawney knew that everyone in the family thought that she was a little fey. Nobody told her, but they all thought it. They thought that she was a difficult child. Mum had always laughed when they said that she was difficult. She said that Trelawney was different, and different and difficult were not the same thing. That was why she and Papa had wanted her to be with Phoebe. Phoebe was like Mum. She thought that she was different, not difficult.

Auntie Anna said that since she had been left to Phoebe in the will, then she should go to Phoebe. But Trelawney knew that that was because Auntie Anna didn't want her to come to live with her. Uncle David did, but Auntie Anna said that that was because he didn't have to deal with her. He was in the shop all the time and too busy for her.

Trelawney was glad that she didn't want her. It meant that she got to go to her Phoebe. So God played a joke on Emmeline. He answered Trelawney's prayers by using Emmeline. Emmeline didn't know it, but she was doing God's work. Trelawney thought that maybe someday she would be saved. She hoped so. It was difficult to imagine that Emmeline would be an angel. Perhaps it would take many journeys for her to become one. She wanted Emmeline to be in heaven with them, even if they had to wait a very long time for her.

She was very glad that she was with her Phoebe in America and that Uncle David didn't take her away. She didn't think that he ever would. He was afraid to bring her home to Auntie Anna. Elspeth told her that they had a fight before he came to America. Elspeth had been Mum's dog but now she was Trelawney's. Uncle David had brought her all the way from England. Elspeth told her all about the family. It was funny how people forgot that dogs could listen to everything that they said. And Elspeth had an excellent memory.

So during that wonderful week, every day was spent with Phoebe while the children were at school and the Professor was at the university. They couldn't just play all day. That would have been a frivolous waste of time. Mum had taught them never to waste time. So they began to work on a layette together for Maisie. They knitted it with the softest most beautiful pink wool that Trelawney had ever seen. But it was a secret. Nobody was supposed to know that Maisie was a girl until she was born. They read books together. Trelawney told Phoebe that Maisie liked to hear the books that she read sometimes to Prudence.

Trelawney decided that she wanted to read the "Little House" books to Maisie. Mama Kate had given her those books for Christmas. They weren't hard to read, but Trelawney loved them anyway. They were real true American books about a family with four little girls who lived in the American West in the 1870's and 1880's. Trelawney loved the descriptions of all the wonderful places they went and clothes they wore and the food they ate and houses where they lived. They weren't rich, but they were happy in their lovely family. Trelawney wished for a family like that again. She hoped that Maisie's family would be like that. Maisie was going to be an American girl too.

So Phoebe sat in the rocking chair with her knitting and listened while Trelawney sat on the floor beside her and read. Elspeth also sat and listened. The family had a bulldog named Jack and she liked to hear those bits. Trelawney knew that Maisie liked the books very much also. But she didn't tell Phoebe because it troubled her that Trelawney knew what Maisie was thinking and feeling. Maisie liked music too, so sometimes Trelawney played the piano for her. Phoebe would lie resting on the couch and sometimes fall asleep. Maisie would sleep too.

Trelawney wasn't even sad when the other children came home. Hal brought home her work from her teachers. He even helped her learn her math and science. He was very kind to her now. His friend Topher had told him that she was special and needed their protection. Hal admired Topher very much and wanted to be like him.

Trelawney was glad because Topher was a very good person. He would teach Hal to be a very good person too. She knew that Uncle David had especially liked Hal because he promised to take care of both her and Phoebe. And nobody had asked him to take care of her. That is the way that good people are. They do good things without being asked.

Hal was a very good teacher as well. Mama Kate helped her with her English so that Mrs. Fountain wouldn't get mad at her. She never liked it when Trelawney talked about her ideas about the stories. She didn't need help with History and Spanish. She already knew all the History. She even knew more than the teacher, Mr. Burns. But he was nice about it and let her talk in class. It made the other kids mad because she knew so much. Spanish was too easy. Even Uncle David said it was a waste of time.

Trelawney liked doing her lessons at home. She asked Mama Kate if she could always do her lessons at home. Then she could spend her days with her Phoebe and no one would be jealous. When she spent her days with Phoebe she didn't have any nightmares. And she knew that she and Phoebe were safe in Mama Kate's house. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew. And Phoebe was happy too. And Maisie was happy. But she wasn't allowed to tell anyone.

On Sunday she couldn't go to church. That made her sad because she liked to go to church. She couldn't leave the house because she was supposed to be sick. Mama Kate was still going to keep her home on Monday. Pastor Jason was coming home and she wanted to talk to him. Trelawney hoped that he would say that she could do her lessons at home and spend her days with Phoebe. Over the weekend she missed her a little because they didn't have any time alone. She was sad but she didn't tell anyone but Elspeth. But she made Elspeth's promise not to tell Phoebe or Waldo because she didn't want Phoebe to feel bad.

When they all came over for dinner on Sunday night, she asked to please sit next to Phoebe when she sat on the couch. The Professor was kind and let Phoebe put her arm around her. That made her even happier. Curled up against Phoebe, she could feel Maisie thinking of her. She missed her too. But that was a secret even from Phoebe. She knew that Phoebe would be very sad if she knew that Maisie missed Trelawney. But there wasn't anything that she could do about it anyway. It was not allowed.

Trelawney liked to think and dream when there was no one else around. She liked to sit in front of her dollhouse and imagine that there was a Mum doll and Papa doll too. She wondered why Mum had only brought her Mimsy and Tansy. She supposed that now she would never know. She sighed. She knew that Mum had always said that she was like a butterfly lighting from flower to flower and never staying on one thought long enough to take hold. Trelawney liked being a butterfly. Sometimes the thoughts that took hold of her were dark and frightening. She liked to flit about in the sunlight. That was where she belonged.

**Catherine's Questions**

Catherine was relieved when she got off the phone with Pastor Jason. As usual, he had time to speak with her whenever she needed him. At this point she really needed him. She had reached a point where she was utterly baffled by her daughter-in-law, her sister, and their whole family of psychic relations. It was almost as if they lived in an alternative universe from the rest of them, almost, but certainly not entirely. Each night, she put the child to bed in her own home. She was quite definitely present in their world. It was her perception of reality that was so very different from her own.

Catherine was not sure of why or how, but clearly Pastor Jason understood them completely. Up until this point, she hadn't really had any reason to question his inside knowledge. However, now she was just as curious about him as she was about them. All three of them shared an innate goodness. They were loving, kind, and generous to fault. She supposed that many would see that as strange in today's world.

They were all very sensitive to those around them and often seemed to be able to read the thoughts of others. All the talk of their connection with the universal consciousness was very puzzling. Despite their mysterious nature however, there was nothing in their behavior that was not selfless and caring. The girls were very sweet and Pastor Jason was very gentle. Her anxiety was based on not being able to feel comfortable with their unknown aspects anymore.

As soon as she sat down, she opened her mouth to speak but realized that she didn't even know where to begin. Seeing her hesitate, Pastor Jason asked the first question.

"So overall, how would you say that the visit with David Figalilly went?"

"I'm not really sure," she replied honestly. "He is allowing Trelawney to stay here, but has placed her in our care. She may live with us until she returns to Phoebe or returns home to him. He will not challenge our guardianship for the time being. However, if he chooses to, if she does not return to Phoebe's custody, then he will eventually take her back to England. And the court will uphold the will and grant him custody."

"That's better than I imagined," said Pastor Jason thoughtfully. "I was afraid that he had already decided to take her back to the village. I knew that he would win any legal challenge than he set up against you and Rob. I am assuming that this arrangement is not meant to be permanent."

"No," replied Catherine. "It is not. He will be returning for the christening and I think reevaluating the situation then. The christening of course will not happen until the child is a couple of months old."

"Yes," he said. "Of course. I presume that he expressed his reservations about the current situation to you and has given you time to make adjustments."

"How did you know?" she asked suspiciously.

"It's a logical course of action for him to take," he explained. "No doubt he does not want to upset Phoebe further. It is not good for the baby. If he gives you some concrete things to work on, it will make Phoebe and Trelawney both feel better. David Figalilly is a good man. He loves his brother's children very much and wants to do what is best for them, and his great-niece. No doubt, he too is aware that the child is a girl."

"Yes," answered Catherine. "He is. But I can't tell for the life of me how he knows that. Or, for that matter, how he knows a lot of the other things he knows. He is a rather taciturn fellow and a great observer of those around him. He is an excellent listener. However, all of those qualities do not add up to being able to perceive all the kinds of things that he is able to perceive."

"And what might they be?" he asked casually.

"Well, first of all," she said. "He seems to know what people are thinking. But secondly, he was talking about seeing auras."

"Well that's not as unusual a thing as you might think," replied Pastor Jason. "There are many people, and not all of them are psychics who claim to see auras, especially in emotionally charged situations. It is not as difficult as you think."

"Okay," she replied. "Tell me. Have you ever heard of two people's auras merging?"

That stopped him dead. Catherine realized that she had told him something that he couldn't easily explain away. Now, she thought, maybe I'll start to get some real answers out of him.

"In what context did he claim to seeing two people's auras merging?" he asked carefully. Catherine suspected that he already knew the answer to the question.

"Two weeks ago we had a rather emotional time with Phoebe and Trelawney. Aunt Henrietta had been to dinner the night before and upset Phoebe badly. I had sent Trelawney over to the Tuckers for a sleepover, but she had a nightmare there anyway. She was worried about her sister," she told him.

"They had fallen asleep for a late afternoon nap and Phoebe came down to tell us that Trelawney had talked in her sleep about the nightmare. Then Trelawney came rushing downstairs when she realized that Phoebe was no longer with her. She was afraid that Phoebe was gone "forever." As she was comforting her, David said that their auras merged and they were strengthening each other. It was at that point that I think he decided that he would leave Trelawney here in America. However he didn't tell us that until he left a week later."

Catherine watched as Pastor Jason steepled his fingers as he always did when he was deep in thought. She knew that he would not question the fact that the auras had merged, however he also didn't seem to know what to make of the phenomenon. She knew now that he had never seen it himself, but he was also not surprised by what she told him. She supposed that the sisters were so close that it was in the realm of possibility as he saw it. Finally he spoke.

"I am sure that David told you that this is not a bad thing," he said slowly. "But it certainly is a serious matter. Did he say anything about the colors of the auras?"

"No, all he said was that Phoebe's stronger aura was strengthening Trelawney's weaker one," she replied. "He said that they strengthened each other. Does the color matter?"

"Well, yes," he said. "It's a pity he didn't mention it. It would help to understand exactly what they were feeling at that moment. I suspect that Phoebe's was green that is the color of healing. It is difficult to say what Trelawney's was. If David believed that Phoebe's was strengthening her sister's, then no doubt there was a color change as they merged and then again as the one strengthened the other. That can happen if one affects the other deeply. He must have been disturbed by what he saw."

"That is certainly the impression that I got from him," she said.

She was trying to be canny. She realized that he did not want to tell her anymore than he had to. He was a smart man however and would no doubt do his best to tell her as little as possible.

"The phenomenon of the merged auras is very rare. I am sure that he told you that," he said. "I know that the girls were raised in what one might call a co-dependent relationship. This is the first evidence that we have of how strong the bond is between them. The only closer human bonds that exist are the bonds between a mother and child as she is carrying her.

"This is an explanation that my premonition that the security of one depends on the other is correct. Believe it or not, it also explains Aunt Henrietta's premonition of their kismet being mutual. She is using this to claim that Trelawney brings danger to Phoebe. That is only if Trelawney herself is in danger. We have no proof of that. However, she is wrong to think that separating the girls would be safer for Phoebe. In fact, it is the worst thing that could be done at this point."

"Basically, you have just reaffirmed what David told us," she replied. "He wants to keep them together until the child is safely born and then he is hoping that the separation would be less traumatic, at least for Phoebe. But he really thinks that the girls should live together."

"In a perfect world they would," answered Pastor Jason lightly. "But the world isn't perfect. Hal is not ready to accept the place of Trelawney in his wife's life. She makes him uncomfortable. This is very stressful for Phoebe who is feeling caught in the middle, between her love for her husband and her love for her sister. That's why I felt that it was important to move Trelawney out. She instinctively, but not consciously, knows that she troubles him. She also knows that this troubles Phoebe.

"It's why she was wasting away last year, trying to disappear, as Emmeline said. She did not want to come between them, but she could not think of any action to take. In the end, it appears that she took a form of passive aggression against herself. It was Emmeline who helped me realize it before she left. I am presuming that she is stronger now, or David would have taken issue with her health."

"Well," commented Catherine. "She consciously knows how Hal feels now. That's what she told me after David left and had commended her into our custody. She was heartbroken. She had been hoping that he would issue an ultimatum that would have sent her back to Phoebe. Phoebe knew it and returned to the house to comfort her. Hal was confused of course, and followed her back. But I sent him home. Phoebe needed to be with her sister and he needed to take care of the other children. He is not very good at that."

"You did well," he replied. "Hal needs to get better at taking care of the older children. When the baby is born he will need to take on more of that responsibility so that Phoebe can focus on her infant. He will also have to acknowledge his feelings about Trelawney and get over them. If David saw their auras merge once, I am sure that it will happen again. They need to have more time alone together. When I left a month ago, I was very troubled by the situation that I saw developing. It is not healthy for either of them."

"Which two of the two are you talking about?" asked Catherine a bit testily because of his evasive speech. "Hal and Phoebe? Trelawney and Phoebe? Trelawney and Hal? It seems to me that the situation isn't healthy for any of them. I also don't think that it is fair to lay the blame entirely with Hal."

"Why is that?" asked Pastor Jason with interest.

"When Phoebe married Hal, she withheld a lot of information about herself," she replied. "Hal was put in a position by some of her family members where he was expected to accept her as she was without fully understanding who and what she was. It is not very surprising that he should find some of the new things that he is learning a little hard to swallow. Especially where Trelawney is concerned."

"That's fair to say," he admitted. "But Trelawney was a part of the deal, so to speak, and he knew that. He also knew that she was a very troubled child. Unfortunately it's a little late in the game to be experiencing 'buyer's remorse' you might say."

"Oh, I'll grant you that any adolescent girl is going to be difficult to live with," she answered. "However she has unique issues that are related to some of the common differences that both she and Phoebe share with what seems to be with the rest of the world. And those are the differences that he didn't know about. For a mathematician, it's not an easy paradigm to work with in any case. There are also many things about who they are that cannot be logically explained."

Pastor Jason looked at her as though he was having some kind of internal debate. He knew that she was right, but he clearly did not want to divulge too much information. Of course this only made her more curious.

"David had several conversations with Rob and I about Phoebe and Trelawney and at several points he admitted that he was telling us more than he normally would tell 'an outsider.' However he never told us exactly what we were outside of," she stated hoping to get more answers.

"From the Figalilly and any other family in their village's perspective, anyone who not from the village is an outsider," explained Pastor Jason. "Now I know that that seems like an obvious definition, but it is essentially true. As you have surmised, it is a fairly insular culture. Their lives are simple. For the most part they are kind and generous people. But naturally, every group has its outliers, and this one does as well."

"Would an outlier be someone like Aunt Henrietta?" asked Catherine.

"Yes, it would," he replied. "But there are outliers on the other end of the spectrum as well. Trelawney and Phoebe are good examples."

"Also, Trelawney has told us that some like to roam and some like to stay at home," added Catherine.

"Yes," answered Pastor Jason. "Phoebe was most certainly a roamer, so to speak. That changed when she fell in love with and married Hal. It is not as unusual as you might think, even though her family has taken it very hard. Phoebe's situation is unusual by virtue of the fact that she left someone behind whom she had promised to care for. Within the _mores_ of their culture, that relationship should have come first.

"If someone marries outside the village it is expected that they will stay there and not return except for the occasional visit. A special child like Trelawney, but really any other child as well, is always raised in the village. Phoebe trusted Hal to help protect her in the outside world. She knew that she could not do that alone. He was doing a very good job of it too, until things got too hard."

"So far, you have not told me anything that I didn't already know or surmise. And David did a very good jump of hammering home the last point, much to Hal's discomfort," said Catherine. "But what I really want to know is what kind of people these are. They seem to know what others are thinking. They also seem to be able to predict the future or know what will happen. Trelawney seems to talk to angels and dogs."

"Trelawney does not talk to angels," replied Pastor Jason firmly. "She has never had a conversation with her parents since they have passed away. She is able to discern their emotions, but there is no direct communication. She also does not really predict anything or know what people are thinking by reading their minds.

"Trelawney is highly intuitive. Like her sister and uncle, she observes those around her carefully and reads cues in their body language and facial expressions. Doubtless she too sees auras. What appear to be predictions are really a genuine prescience, a great sensitivity to the universal consciousness and the intrinsic nature of those she encounters.

"She does not cognitively know anything. What she knows comes through in feelings and dreams. The simplicity of her mind and her disinterest in the material world give her mind the freedom to discern this. But it is a burden as much as it is a gift. Especially for one so young."

Catherine was silent. Once again, Pastor Jason did not tell her anything that she didn't already know. However, he was helping her to put some of the pieces together.

"Okay, so you're going to keep avoiding directly answering my questions," she said. "But if Rob and I are going to protect Trelawney there is something that we really need to know. Who or what are we protecting her from?"

Once again, Pastor Jason was silent. As she watched him, Catherine realized that he was not merely thinking, he was praying. It was obvious that even he needed guidance. Being a pastor, it was the most logical thing in the world that he would turn to God. Finally, he spoke.

"As you know, there are both forces of light and forces of darkness in the universe. The metaphors of light for goodness and darkness for evil are not imaginary constructions. We see them across cultures and across time," he replied. "There is, has always been, and will always be a constant tension between them. Some people, such as Trelawney are more sensitive to this tension than others. Others, such as Phoebe, are stronger, and in their own way wage war against the darkness.

"Very often, people who do not know better, misconstrue the darkness in terms of very dramatic evil and destructive forces. However, much of the darkness is more insidious. It works by destroying those who are good, strong families, solid community life, and moral values. The list is endless. Phoebe's personal mission was to set the world to rights one family at a time. I believe that she has told you that. She had chosen to use her special gifts to set the world to rights at what we might call a 'micro-level.' She was very effective at this.

"This mission is presently evolving to meet its new circumstances. Eventually, she will become further involved in this community and work to make it a better place. She will be a role model for others and inspire them to do good works. But I am not predicting the future when I say this. I am simply looking at this woman, how she has lived her life before and seeing its natural progression to its next phase."

"I guess that makes sense," said Catherine slowly. "But what about Trelawney?"

"Trelawney is very different," he answered. "She is highly sensitive and intuitive. She feels things too deeply. Her goodness is a handicap to her. She is easily hurt. She seeks comfort in those whom she senses are good. And what she senses, she really knows. Her perceptions are often reality. She does not have many defenses against the darker forces in the world. That is why she retreats into her fantasy world. I am guessing that while David was here, she never mentioned it."

"No, she didn't," replied Catherine. "I assumed that she was on her best behavior."

"Not really," he said mildly. "Did you ever get any sense that she either didn't trust him or feared him? And I don't just mean as her _paterfamilias_ whom she had to obey. Did she fear him as an authority figure?"

"No," admitted Catherine. "Phoebe did, but not Trelawney."

"Trelawney's trust in David is absolute. She sees him as a force for good," he explained. "Owen Figalilly was also a very good man. The brothers were close and took care of one another. Phoebe's trepidation where he was concerned came mostly from her own guilty conscience. She was afraid that he would confront her with her mistakes regarding her responsibility to Trelawney. Did he?"

"Not directly to her," replied Catherine. "But he told us as much. But he also intimated that he did not have to. She was very well aware of her shortcomings in this area. He made it clear that it was he who was allowing Trelawney to stay. He has the power to take her away now, but he is choosing to leave the door open for Phoebe to regain custody."

Pastor Jason smiled.

"There is your proof that he is a very good man and he loves both girls very much," he said. "He must place a great deal of trust in you and Rob. If the child is his goddaughter, she is very special to him. Owen and Meg knew what they were doing when they made him her godfather. In their culture, godparents have a real responsibility in the physical protection and moral upbringing of the child. Their role in their lives is not purely ceremonial as it is here."

Catherine thought for a moment. She still didn't fully understand the girls, but she knew that she needed to move on.

"David has asked that we look into a private school for Trelawney," she said. "He spent a day with her at school and said that he didn't like the feeling there or that she relies so much on Francine and Sarah."

"That's probably not a bad idea," he replied. "She would probably do well in a religious school, especially one where solid, Christian values are up held. I also think that an all-girls school would be a good option. There are several in the area. You might look at Our Lady of Mercy Academy.

"It's a Catholic school so there is a possibility that Mrs. Fowler may be interested in sending Francine there as well. The academic standards are very high and it has an excellent program in the arts. Both girls would thrive there academically and socially. They would also have much more personal attention than they would get in a public school."

"That sounds like a good possibility," she answered. "I am not sure that the religious affiliation makes a big difference. But I am concerned about how she can finish out the school year now. I have kept her at home for the past week and we've been teaching her ourselves. In fact, she is home right now. She and Phoebe spend their days together and then she does her schoolwork later. I've been calling her in sick, but that means that she can't go to church or her activities."

"Well that's not good," he said, but then quickly amended, "I mean that it is not good that she can't do the things that she loves. I doubt that she is missing much by not attending school. You should see about putting her on a home study program for the rest of the year. You are a certified teacher, I assume?"

"Yes, I am," she said. "But I'm not qualified to teach her math and science."

"Rob's a retired engineer," he said. "He can help her. I really think that you should explore the possibility. It would be good for her and Phoebe to have all that time alone."

"Because of the merged auras?" she asked.

"I knew that we would come back to that," he said smiling. "Yes, that and a few other reasons. Phoebe and Trelawney are very close in mind and heart. They benefit from their time alone together. They both need it."

"I can see that," she said. "It has also gone a long way towards easing the tension with the rest of the family."

"I'm sure that it has," he replied. "In some ways they all really needed this 'time out' so to speak, so that they could begin to work on some of their own issues. It's not just Trelawney who has relational problems. Before Phoebe came, the dynamic in the home was not good. Her work in this area was not finished before her own tragedy struck.

"Hal was only beginning to realize the role that he needed to take in his children's lives was being more than just the financial provider. All three children, each in their own way, is still trying to come to grips with the loss of their mother and the previous neglect of their father. Hal is the farthest along, but that's because he remembers her best. It has been easiest for him to confront his feelings and move on. He is quite an extraordinary young man. He has learned a great deal about being a good big brother from Topher.

"Butch and Prudence may not have conscious memories of their mother, but we need to remember that she did carry them each for nine months and then care for them through infancy. They lost that powerful bond very young. They are still healing. They are lucky they have Phoebe to love them so much.

"I know that there is resentment against Trelawney, but that is an expression of sibling rivalry and anxiety about what will happen to them when the baby is born. It's easier to direct their jealousy towards Trelawney since she is present. She's also an easier target than an unborn child that they know everyone is eagerly awaiting. It's perfectly natural."

"What about my son Hal and his relationship with Trelawney?" she asked.

"Well, he's a 'work in progress' so to speak, also," said Pastor Jason with a smile. "He has a very busy career and has always had problems juggling work and family. He is still trying to figure out how to relate to his own kids. Remember that it was Phoebe who brought them together again, but she also never fully stepped back from her role in that process. Hal has gotten better, but he still blows his stack on occasion. And he does not have enough time for the children. Deep down he is very fond of Trelawney, but she became one too many personality to deal with on a daily basis right now. Phoebe's pregnancy is also making him feel pressured to find more family time."

"So basically what you are telling me is that he is overwhelmed?" she asked.

"Yes, that's it in a nutshell," he replied. "He really needs to figure out how to balance his commitments. Periodically he comes up for air from his job and focuses on his family, but the bulk of his attention is on his career. Today it is Trelawney who is lost in the shuffle. Think about when the baby comes and she is absorbing most of Phoebe's attention, and of course, his. He needs to think about how he will make sure that the other children get the attention that they will need. I suspect that there will be issues with Prudence next. She is very needy."

"There already are. We are all trying to work with her to help her accept that she will no longer be the focus of Phoebe's attention. But what about Hal, what can we do to help him?" asked Catherine.

"You need to start talking with him about it now. Don't let him put it off," he said. "The answers will not come overnight. There is going to have to be serious thinking and talking. And the kids need to be included in the discussions. Any worries that they are having now are magnified by that fact that they are not expressing them. Instead of telling them how they should feel, ask them to tell you how they are feeling. And don't judge it."

"But what if they act out?" she asked. "This is happening even now."

"Always address inappropriate behavior when it happens. Do it quickly and move on. But don't miss these opportunities to teach them what your expectations are," he replied. "Kids push boundaries because they want boundaries. It shows them that you care when you take the time to discuss their behavior rather than just saying 'don't do that because I said so.'"

"You're right of course," she said. "I suppose that I should go home and start working on the home study idea. I don't even have to ask Phoebe and Trelawney how they feel about it. Anything that gives them more time with less friction with the rest of the family will make them happier."

"And that will make the others happier," he added. "If we are going to move things in a direction where they are able to live together as one family again, then they all have to be happy. It's not going to be easy, but it's not impossible either."

"Thank you, pastor," she said. "I appreciate your time."

"Any time," he said with a smile. "I would also like to speak with Trelawney today. Could you bring her in around five?"

"Of course," she replied. "I believe that you are speaking to Rob before that."

"And Phoebe," he admitted. "I have a lot of catching up to do. I think that it's better for me to start right away. It will help you all to move forward."

As Catherine walked out to the car, she realized that he hadn't answered half of her questions about Phoebe, Trelawney, and their family. However, he had given her some very practical advice and good ideas to work with. She realized that maybe she had come to him with the wrong questions. Still, he had given her the answers that she needed to act so that she could begin to help the whole family and not just Trelawney.

Oddly, she felt a pang of regret at the thought that eventually the girl would leave her home and return to her sister. One of the bright spots in the present dilemma was the charming little girl with the big blue eyes and bright blonde curls. In many ways she was the eye of the storm of human conflicts and emotions swirling around her. Her mind was simple, but so were her needs and emotions. She loved the good, feared the bad, and avoided what she could not understand.

She never meant to cause trouble, but like the eye of a hurricane, her mere presence was the cause of the chaos around her. It was difficult to imagine her growing up and being capable of caring for herself. However, someday she intended to have a sit down with Pastor Jason and grill him about this whole clan of mysterious psychics. Just because he had not answered her questions today, did not mean that she would stop asking them tomorrow.

_To be continued . . ._


	2. Chapter 2

**Phoebe's Turn**

Phoebe was grateful that Pastor Jason was able to see her right after lunch. She knew that Catherine would be speaking with him before lunch because she had told her that she was going out for "a bit" then. She was vague about the reason so she assumed that she was going to talk with him about Trelawney and her. Oddly, she no longer cared. At one time she had been very bothered whenever she thought that someone might be prying into her personal affairs.

Now that her focus and concern were on her baby and her sister, she accepted the fact that she needed help of people such as Catherine and Pastor Jason to keep on top of all of the people in her life. She knew that she also needed to maintain her focus on her husband's needs. It was beneficial for both of them. Despite his promise while they were on their honeymoon that he would have no regrets this time for lost opportunities in his marriage, he still didn't know how to accomplish that. She knew that things were slipping out of balance for him between his work and his home life again.

He also seemed to be slowly sinking into a state of confusion about all of the various relationships in his life outside the university, mostly the kids. After Uncle David's visit, he was unsure of how he felt about Trelawney. He was more short-tempered with his own three. It worried her. The more confused he became, the longer his hours at work. As always his response to the problems was to try to escape them or put off confronting them. He was falling into his own pattern of procrastination again. He needed to get over that once and for all.

She suspected that Rob would wish to speak with Pastor Jason as well. He was also very troubled by Uncle David's visit and the difficulties that it had posed for them all. She accepted unequivocally that Rob would want help in maintaining an overview of the situation. It was a challenge with which he had never been faced before. Uncle David had told him that he was now her _paterfamilias_. She knew her place in relation to him and respected his position of authority in her life.

However, such a role did not really exist in American family culture. She believed that this was why Hal was having problems accepting his father's new role in their lives. He viewed it as interference in his personal affairs. But Rob was stepping in to help in the areas that Hal had lost control of. Unless Hal could learn to rein in his time spent at the university, she and the kids were going to need Rob's help.

There were many things about Uncle David's visit that had personally disturbed her. The codicil to the will was the most upsetting. It was shocking for her to realize now that she had been completely unaware of it last year. It had somehow slipped by her cognizance as she was listening to all the legalisms as the lawyer reviewed them. It was an indication of her state of mind at the time. And yet it was a very important issue.

She could not understand how or why her parents could have thought that she could or would not be able to raise her sister "properly." They had never said a word about it before. Of course, she had not directly spoken with them since she had left home that last time. They had exchanged letters fairly regularly, but nowhere in their letters had there been any hint of distrust. Of course none of them had any idea that there would be an immediate need for her to raise Trelawney. However, she knew that the presumption by all family members was that she would drop everything to fulfill this duty.

She was also aware that there had already been concern because she had been in one place for so long, and certainly lots of speculation to go along with it. She believed that she had managed all the nosy relatives who had popped in to visit very well. Of course she had mostly wanted them to leave her alone and get on with their own lives. She wondered if her parents hadn't read anything in her letters that might have bothered them. But there was no way of knowing. And certainly Trelawney hadn't known.

She knew that they were lucky that Uncle David had chosen not to invoke the codicil at this time. But the fact that he could at any time unnerved her. Although he had allowed the legal action that she had taken to grant custody to Rob and Catherine stand, she knew that in his own mind, the fact that he commended her into their care was the superseding action. It had never been her right to do this. Reluctantly she admitted that her own perception of the power structure within the family now made her realize that she had lost control of custody through her own actions. Like Trelawney, she accepted the outcome without complaint, but certainly with much heartache.

She found solace in her days with her sister. They played with the dolls in the dollhouse, they talked, they knitted, and they read. Trelawney played the piano for them. Phoebe could feel that Maisie enjoyed their time together as well, especially the music. The best part of the time was that they could share it without anyone else to lay claim to it. She did not have to feel guilty for neglecting her husband and their children. Because she had been brought up to think of others first, she had never been very good about articulating her own needs.

Even now she viewed this time in terms of its benefits for her sister, not herself. It had been a very long time since they had had such unencumbered time. She realized that since Trelawney had come to America such time had not existed. They talked a great deal about their parents and the days in the village. Sometimes it felt almost as if it were a part of another life. At other times, it felt like a dream. In fact, in many ways, it was.

Catherine's home offered them a space that they could call their own. It was where they belonged as sisters. The children were all in school, where they belonged. Hal was at work, where he really wanted to be during his days. Trelawney had never seemed to belong in school, or at least not in that school. Mrs. Griegan had really been the one who made school work for her last year. This year, there was no one.

She knew that there were many ways that she could fill her time. In fact, many of the activities that she shared with her sister were things that she could do by herself or with Catherine. But Trelawney was the one who soothed her wounded spirit best. Her love was completely uncomplicated and purely unconditional. There was never a look or a word of reproach for the time they had missed together or the fact that her mistakes had nearly separated them forever. Her forgiveness, like her love, was unspoken and implicit.

Sometimes Catherine joined them, but when they sought refuge in talking about their previous lives with their parents she had the sensitivity to withdraw. This was very important for them, since there were aspects to their previous life that were incomprehensible to outsiders. If she were present, they would have to censor their memories so as not reveal too much about who they were. At these times, Trelawney would curl up in her arms and she would feel that energy pass between them that seemed to strengthen her. She asked Trelawney if she felt it as well.

"Oh, yes, Phoebe," she said matter of factly. "I believe that we are feeling the strength of each other's auras. We are so very close, you know. In fact, I believe that they have even blended once or twice."

"Are you sure?" asked Phoebe. This was incredible. The co-mingling of auras was something that everyone had heard of, but no one that she knew had ever seen. Yet, Trelawney had spoken of it just now as if it were an everyday occurrence.

"I don't know if one can ever be completely sure about these things," she said. "It would take someone else with second sight to see it. But you do know that Mum and Papa's auras would merge from time to time."

"They did?' asked Phoebe. "How do you know?"

"I saw them," she replied. "They were so very much in love and so very close. When they were happy, it was a lovely blue color. It was very clear, cool, and peaceful. Their spirits were in perfect harmony with one another."

"Did you ever see such a thing with anyone else?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, no," answered Trelawney. "Of course one does see auras quite often. It's a very good way of knowing when someone is mad or sad or happy if you can't read their face."

"Yes, I know," she smiled. "It can be very useful in human relations to be able to anticipate responses through mood."

"Oh yes," said the girl once more. "And to tell if they are being deceitful. Of course Pastor Jason is an angel because his aura is such a lovely, bright golden color. It was odd that I knew him for several weeks before I saw it. In fact it was only when I realized that he had been sent for me that I could see it. The clear pale yellow slowly flooded with orange and the luminous gold appeared. I suspect that angels have the power to disguise their auras. I shall have to ask him sometime."

"I didn't see it either," admitted Phoebe. "Until after I realized who he was. I know that he must be very careful. Especially there are others besides those such as us who can see auras."

"Yes," said Trelawney. "That was why he was gone while Uncle David was here. If Uncle David were looking for him then he might discover him by catching him unawares. He avoids Aunt Henrietta, but I don't believe that she could see it anyway."

"Why is that?"

"Aunt Henrietta refuses to acknowledge the light," she said simply. "She lives in the darkness. Her aura is quite a muddy brown, you know, rather loathsome when she is angry and it is infused with grey. If she ever goes to heaven, it will take her many journeys. I don't believe that I have many journeys left before I go to heaven. I am looking forward to seeing Mum and Papa again."

Phoebe left their conversation off at this point and changed the subject to the color of the nursery. She didn't want to know how Trelawney knew this and she was afraid to ask. It was one of those many things about her sister that even she did not understand. She was not even sure that she wanted to understand it. She was unsure of what it meant for her. She was hoping that her conversation with Pastor Jason would help to settle her mind.

Last summer when she herself had been having nightmares, Trelawney had begun her talk of darkness and light with regard to Cholmondeley. At that point she had referred to her as a child of the light, and herself as a child of God. It had settled her to realize that she had not let her sister down when she had been harmed earlier.

She had protected her when she needed to and when she was able to. Her own parents could not do as much. There was no need to feel guilty for what did not happen when she was under her protection. Perhaps Pastor Jason, who had helped her to acknowledge this and see the light, could explain things now.

When she entered his office, she could see that he was relaxed. She was sure that it was easier for him to talk to her or Trelawney than the others because there was less that he had to hide. They knew his true nature.

"So, Phoebe," he greeted her. "How have you been for the last month? It looks to me as though things are going very well with your pregnancy. Has the morning sickness finally abated?"

"Yes, it has," she replied. "We've all missed you."

"So I gathered from talking to Catherine," he answered. "I am afraid that she is very bewildered by all that she has learned about you and your family. Of course there is so much that she really can't know. David told her much more than I thought he would. It is not really good for you all for her to know too much. I was able to dodge most of her questions, but she is very tenacious. I suspect that she will be back."

"Yes, she will," said Phoebe. "She doesn't want to upset me, so she has been trying to avoid asking me too much. She also knows that I am very skilled at avoiding personal questions. So is Trelawney. Of course even in straightforward matters Trelawney can be challenging to speak with. She has a very engaging way flitting from topic to topic with little rhyme or reason to anyone but herself. It is very charming, but also very frustrating if you are looking for a specific answer."

"It is very important for you to remember that Catherine does not need to know as much as she thinks that she does in order to keep Trelawney safe," he continued. "Keeping her away from Aunt Henrietta is most important thing."

"I am still not sure of why that is," replied Phoebe. "She has really always been a bit of a family joke. It is odd that Trelawney even bothers to fear her."

"What else can you think of that has been a genuine fear for Trelawney? Be honest," he asked.

This was a question that Phoebe did not wish to answer, however Pastor Jason waited patiently until she finally lifted her eyes from her hands.

"She was afraid of the unicorn," answered Phoebe reluctantly. She did not like to think about that. It was still very disturbing for her.

"Who was also an odd sort, a real character, you must admit. And everyone viewed him as harmless, if quirky. He quite skillfully, although like Aunt Henrietta perhaps not with intentional malevolence, disguised his true nature beneath a veneer of showmanship," he said. "He represented the darkness for her for reasons no one understood at the time. And of course, he was. But like Aunt Henrietta he does not seem to have an awareness of himself as the darkness.

"She saw him as the trickster and the animal. It shows how much she really feared him. She was able to see things in him that no one else could. That is very disturbing, but I now think that we are all realizing that this is an intrinsic, albeit still developing, aspect of her nature. Remember that she has referred to Aunt Henrietta by the name of another negative archetype, the evil witch.

"Aunt Henrietta may be a joke, but her powers, such as they are, are connected with darker forces. That is why things frequently go wrong for her. She can mean well, as she does with you. But she doesn't fully understand that her 'connections' are not positive in origin. Because Trelawney is so aware of the nature of their darkness, she is fearful. And once again, as with the unicorn, her primary concern is protecting you."

"Trelawney spoke once of Aunt Henrietta and the darkness. She said that she didn't think that she would ever recognize you because she doesn't believe in the light," she said. "Aunt Henrietta is very uncomfortable around anything that has even the slightest hint of religion. She has always been like that."

"Perhaps," he replied. "But I'm not taking any chances. Aunt Henrietta would very much like to discover my identity and 'blow my cover' so to speak. Just because she doesn't believe in God does not mean that she would be unable to recognize one of his messengers. She sees auras too. And she knows what they mean. If I have to leave, Uncle David will have to return and bring Trelawney home. At this point that would not be good for any of you, especially you. Your sister's ability to communicate with Maisie is most disconcerting. But it also tells us that Maisie needs her."

"Trelawney believes that on occasion our auras merge," she stated, leaving it hanging out in the air.

Pastor Jason looked deep in thought. No doubt he was not hearing this for the first time. She wondered how Catherine knew.

"Catherine knew because David told her," he replied, answering her unspoken question. "He observed it. It is why he left Trelawney where she is. There is a very deep connection between the two of you. Separating you by thousands of miles would be extremely stressful for you both, but especially for you being pregnant.

"It is why he has placed her in Rob's care. At this time he is in the strongest position to do this. You really should not take his decision to heart the way that you are. It is for the best. Catherine is her direct caretaker, but ultimately it is Rob who protects you all. As you know, I do not protect, I only advise."

"Yes, I imagine he could see it," she said slowly. "I felt the energy pass between us on one or two occasions that was much stronger than usual. I have always taken for granted that our sibling relationship accounted for it at other times. I discussed it with Emmeline once. She said that she has never felt that close to any of her brothers or sisters. What Trelawney and I share is very special."

"What you share is very special, even between close siblings. You were close to begin with, but your mother also did everything that she could to nurture the emotional dependence that you have on one another. I myself have never actually seen the auras of two people merge before. How did it make you feel?" he asked with curiosity.

"I suppose that it was a warm feeling," she said. "I felt strengthened by it and I certainly know that she was. She was distraught and I could feel her anxiety. It gave me a sense of peace and she seemed to relax in my arms. I know that she felt safe. Sometimes the same thing happens when we are sitting in the sunlight together. At those times, Trelawney claims that we are feeling our parents' presence. She says that they come in a sunbeam."

"I have no doubt that they do, in spirit anyway," he replied. "You are both children of light. We now know that both of your parents were on their final journey home. It is a most unusual circumstance that two such people should find each other and marry. In fact, it is extremely rare. Especially when you consider that theirs was a wholly contractual marriage. Unlike you and Hal, they did not marry because it was a star-crossed romance. It was sheer serendipity. That makes you and Trelawney both very special.

"Their journey was cut short, but they left the two of you behind. Trelawney knows this and has always instinctively known it. I believe that it is a component of her fragile mind, but I can't be sure. No one else knows this, but I am telling you because it will help you understand her better.

"Had she not been permitted to come to you after they died, she would have gone to them. She had made that decision, at the time by refusing to eat. It is a pity that no one ever told you that. It would have helped you to intervene earlier. Emmeline recognized the pattern when she visited at Christmas and told me. However, Trelawney's journey is not complete. She is still here for a reason. I suspect a higher purpose. It is unlikely that we will know what that is until her life is over."

"Is this her last journey?" asked Phoebe with trepidation. She wasn't sure why, since it would in no way affect her present journey. Perhaps it was because if Trelawney joined their parents then she might lose all three of them through her own subsequent journeys. Since there was no way to directly communicate with those who had completed their last journey there was no way of knowing.

"There is no way to know," answered Pastor Jason wisely. "It will not be known until this earthly journey is complete for her. It is one of the few things that even she cannot know about herself. But you must not be afraid. No one can know when a journey will end or if it is a final journey. Trelawney was aware that Maisie's journey was beginning. But the two things are not the same at all."

"Do you think that it is a good idea to keep her out of school for the rest of the year?" she asked, wanting to change the subject to a happier topic.

"Do you?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes," she answered honestly. "But it is really for my own selfish reasons."

"Your reasons are not selfish," he replied firmly. "And if you feel that Maisie wants to be with her as well, you are correct. And there is nothing wrong with that. Catherine is going to look into a better school for her for next year. In the meantime, enjoy your time alone with her. You both need each other now.

"You finally beginning the very natural grieving process by which you make peace with the past and move on. It is something that you must do together. Come September, your focus will be on Maisie and she will be happy in her new school. You'll see. And things will begin to sort themselves out."

"What about Aunt Henrietta?" she asked.

"I wish I knew," he said with a sigh. "I have trouble understanding those like her. The difficulty is that there is a great deal that she misunderstands and misinterprets. She has a very murky aura and is extremely difficult to read, even for me. Avoid her whenever possible and try not to pay attention to what she says. It's hard, but it can be done. There is much deceit in her words, not all of which is her own. Unfortunately it is mingled with accurate foresight."

"I wish that I knew more," she said wistfully.

"You know as much as you can and certainly more than most humans can," he said. "I know that you are used to controlling things and being in charge. Let go of that for a while and focus on your child. That is perfectly natural. And remember that you can't control everything anyway. At this time in your life, really the only thing that you can do is let go and let God. And trust in the light."

"I'll try, but . . ."

"No buts," he said firmly. "Just do it. Now go home. You still have a bit of time with your sister before the other children come home. Go to Catherine's. Give her a big hug. And let her spirit renew you."

Phoebe looked at him as he sat before her. She knew that he was right. She also realized that perhaps she had known all along that there was something special between her and Trelawney. And there always would be. But there was one last thing that she needed to talk about. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably.

"Pastor Jason, something still deeply disturbs me. I am still not sure of why my parents added the codicil to the will that gives custody to Uncle David if I can't take care of Trelawney properly," she said. "Why didn't they trust me?"

This was one of those times when Jason was very glad that he was able to easily conceal his thoughts from others, even those like Phoebe and Trelawney. Phoebe's father had indeed not trusted her to return to the village to care for her younger sister in the event of a tragedy. He didn't even trust her to return with Cholmondeley.

He didn't know why she had been with the Everetts for so long, but his instincts were telling him that reason could potentially lead to trouble with her and her two major commitments to her family: to marry her betrothed and to care for her sister if anything should happen to them.

"It was actually your father who added the codicil to the will," he said to try to soften what he had to say. "Your mother never knew about it. It wasn't that he didn't trust you to care for her. He was concerned that you might not do so in the village. He was afraid of might happen to Trelawney if she settled outside the village."

"But he never knew about Cholmondeley," answered Phoebe puzzled. "He had no reason to suspect that we would not marry and settle in the village. In fact, that's what would have happened if Trelawney had not interfered."

Oh what a tangled web we weave, he thought. In fact Owen did not trust her to do her duty as a good daughter and fulfill her marriage contract, even without the knowledge of Cholmondeley's relationship with his younger child. Jason wanted to spare her that knowledge. Her mother had not even known. Close as they were, he had concealed it from her.

Considering how hard Meg had worked to make the girls eventually inseparable, it would have made her most disappointed in her older daughter. But his sister Agatha had gushed a bit too much for his comfort about the handsome professor and Phoebe's claims of contentment. Justine was more reserved in her comments, but she had not been totally blind either.

Even the flaky Uncle Alfred was suspicious when he couldn't budge her from her contented state within the household. Meg had never suspected that there might be some validity to their claims. She thought that the problem was Cholmondeley and his dithering abroad. She believed that if he decided to claim his bride then Phoebe would drop everything and return home. Had her parents lived, she probably would have done so. There was no way to know for certain anymore.

Perhaps Owen had a premonition of his fate, or his wife's. That too was impossible to know. Like Phoebe and Trelawney, their minds and their fates were closely bound together. Their auras would merge on occasion as well. Tragedy for one had clearly been tragedy for the other. The phenomenon of the merged auras meant that Phoebe and Trelawney shared this same closeness of spirit.

To protect the younger child, Meg had cultivated this very close relationship. However she could not possibly have known that the ramifications for both of her daughters might have been eventually problematic. But even he could not know if or in what way. The circumstance was simply too rare. The stories about it too unreliable.

Phoebe watched Pastor Jason carefully as he mulled her last words. She could not perceive his thoughts. His facial expression was inscrutable. But she could feel her own anxiety rising. She realized that he was trying to avoid telling her the truth. Her father had not trusted her to raise Trelawney in the village. That was why Uncle David had been given secondary custody. Oddly, so was Auntie Anna. She wondered how she felt about Trelawney coming to live with them.

Auntie Anna was one of their relatives who had found Trelawney to be a trial. She believed that her sister Meg had spoilt her and that a firmer hand would have gone a long way towards putting her on the straight and narrow as she saw it. Auntie Anna was quite definitely the "salt of the earth." She had no time for the whimsical notions of a child such as Trelawney and thought that they were the result of Mum's over-indulgence.

Of her own six children, Emmeline was the youngest. Auntie Anna did not know what Mum had been thinking, having Trelawney at her much older age. She even once went so far as to say that Trelawney's oddness came from Mum's age. It was one of the few times that Papa had actually wielded his power over another family member and shut her down.

If Trelawney was a little fey, it was because she had been made that way by God. God does not make mistakes. He entrusts his most special children to special people who will regard them as precious, not problems. Trelawney had been sent to Meg as a gift, not a burden. Phoebe loved her in the same way.

However, Auntie Anna was essentially a good woman. She meant no harm or malice. Uncle David had always been busy with the business end of the family, including the finances of his siblings, and she had her hands full with her six children. She had breathed a sigh of relief when Emmeline had finally left home and she could focus her energies on her garden and her animals.

When the grandbabies came along she was thrilled. Phoebe doubted that she was interested in embracing motherhood again, even for the sake of her goddaughter. Perhaps her father had added her name to the codicil to give her veto power over the choice to take custody. He would not have wanted his younger daughter taken in on sufferance.

Finally Pastor Jason spoke, breaking into her thoughts.

"It is really too late to speculate about the intentions of someone who passed away over a year ago," he stated. "He was acting on incomplete information since while he was living he did not know the truth about your ex-fiancé and your sister."

"Does he know now?" she asked sadly. "Does Mum?"

He looked at her sympathetically. She already knew the answer to that question.

"They both know," he said gently. "They have known since Agatha discerned the knowledge from Francine's mind. Many tears have been wept. Yes, there are tears even in heaven. This was also the reason why I was sent to guard her shortly after the aunts visited.

"Your parents were fearful that if even they could not keep her safe, no other human being could either. That was no judgment on you or your ability to care for her. It was the only way that they could be at peace. And our Father always wants us to be at peace, especially in His kingdom."

Phoebe closed her eyes to focus her concentration against the darkness she could feel lurking in the corners of her mind. She was disturbed by this latest revelation. She knew that Trelawney had perceived Helen weeping in heaven for the rift between her mother and her children. She had tried to fool herself into believing that her parents had not known about her sister's plight.

"Open your eyes, Phoebe, child of light."

Pastor Jason's voice broke into her concentration.

"You will not find light in the darkness. You must open your eyes to see the light."

She opened her eyes to see the glow of the ethereal light that Trelawney had claimed surrounded him. She was right. It was a pure golden energy, glowing with wisdom, goodness, and love. It was this pure light alone that could excise the darkness creeping into her mind and soul. Within her, she could feel her child respond. Even Maisie recognized the light.

"Yes, even Maisie knows the light," he said softly. "It was not so long ago that your little angel resided in heaven. She knows only goodness and light. It is why she and Trelawney already know each other. Just like you and Trelawney, she is also a child of light. She is a most special gift from God. You are very blessed that she has been sent to you. Have faith in the light. Keep your eyes fixed on it and it will lead you home."

Thus, Phoebe felt a peace descend over her. She realized that all human decisions are imperfect, not only her own, but everyone else's too. It is through love that one accepts the imperfections of others and still loves. None of them was perfect, not even her beloved parents. And of course the hardest one to forgive, is always one's self.

Before her sat a man who was more than a man. She could trust him because he came from the light. He would guide them all towards the light. Quietly she stood up and thanked him for his time. He embraced her and gave her a blessing. His final words before she left were, "Peace be with you."

And it was. She drove back home, went the Catherine's and sought out her sister. Trelawney was sitting alone in her room reading in the rocking chair when she came in. Her aura glowed with a clear, pale turquoise hue. She smiled when she saw her and immediately stood up from the chair. Phoebe seated herself and then Trelawney sat beside her on the floor and rested against her. Phoebe felt the now familiar energy pass between them as she stroked her long, blonde curls. She felt very fortunate to be a child of light.

**Rob Weighs In**

Rob was glad that Pastor Jason had finally returned from his meeting out of state. He had begun to really feel the stress of trying to maintain peace and balance among the various family members since Uncle David had left. He knew that the good pastor would ease some of the burden of caring for these fragile lives.

Catherine had returned from her talk with him and immediately gotten on the phone with the school's guidance office. From her end of the conversation, he could tell that she wanted to pull Trelawney out of school for the remainder of the year and teach her at home. Considering what a problem that Trelawney had been for them, he doubted that they would have any strenuous objections. After her call ended she looked at him.

"Don't say anything until the arrangements are made," she said firmly. "I don't want either of them to be disappointed."

"That's not what I was thinking of saying," he replied mildly. "I am not sure that this is really going to solve the problem."

"For the time being," she answered. "It will. As soon as these arrangements are made, we are going to start looking for a private school for next year."

Rob shrugged. No doubt Pastor Jason approved of the idea. That was why she had been so eager to act right away. If the plan was to put Trelawney in another school next year, then he didn't have too much of a problem with it. It would also be good for his grandson. He wouldn't have to keep worrying about defending her every time some problem arose with the other students.

He had been watching Catherine, Phoebe, and Trelawney interact for the last week. They were all happy with the present arrangement. Considering all of the upheaval in the girls' lives over the past year, it was good for them to have this quiet time together. He had gotten the sense that the sisters had never really had the chance to mourn for the loss of their parents.

He knew that prior to Trelawney starting school last year, they had had some time alone during the days. But at that point Phoebe had still been in her "nanny" mindset. Her days were focused on caring for the family by whom she was hired. She had never had any time off for herself, let alone her sister. Since September, their lives had been filled with activity, most of it positive, but nonetheless activity. He knew that they spent a great deal of time now reminiscing. That is also an important part of mourning.

Sitting now in Pastor Jason's office, he felt as though he was dropping a heavy load that he had been carrying for a long time. He sighed heavily. Pastor Jason gave him a look of sympathy mingled with amusement.

"I am not sure that you bargained for all this when you moved down here a couple of months ago," he said.

"No, I did not," replied Rob emphatically. "I knew of course that there were things amiss with Trelawney and that Phoebe needed help juggling her needs with those of Hal and the other kids. I knew that it was only a matter of time before Phoebe became pregnant with a child of her own. What I had not realized was that there was this whole supernatural aspect to the Figalillys that was going to complicate everything to this degree. Talk about madness and chaos!"

"Hmm. 'Supernatural.' That's an interesting choice of word," commented Pastor Jason. "This is the first time that I've heard you use it."

"Can you think of a better word?" he asked, his annoyance building. "They read minds, talk to animals, talk about the universal consciousness, and we have a little girl who knows that her sister is having a daughter before she even knows that she's pregnant. Come to think of it, she knew that it was a girl before she even conceived.

"This same child dreams in archetypes, has an encyclopedic knowledge of myth and legend, and can essentially play any piece of music ever written with the artistic skill of a virtuoso. If I were not living in the middle of it, I wouldn't believe it."

"You certainly have made a lot of observations in the past few months," he replied. "I really can't refute anything that you're saying. From your perspective, I guess that the only explanation you have been able to come up with is the supernatural one."

"That's about it," said Rob as his frustration continued to mount. "It's not that I don't love both girls. In fact, I have never met two more kind, caring, and loving people. But they see auras, their auras merge, and they have terrifying nightmares. It's just a little unnerving having them as members of my family.

"Not to mention some of the members of their family that come along with them. Some of these family members pop in and out of our lives without warning. When they are not here they seem to vanish into thin air. The icing on the cake is the crazy ones who live nearby."

"Now, let's be fair," said Pastor Jason. "You're talking about Aunt Henrietta and she's hardly 'some' even if she is larger than life. The only other two that you have met are Emmeline and David and both of them are perfectly normal. They may have the same psychic gifts, but they don't tend to make them apparent. Phoebe is also very discreet. Trelawney is unique, but as you say she is sweet and loving."

"I know," he said with a sigh. "But it felt good to get that off my chest. There aren't too many people around here that I can rant to. If I spoke like that in front of any of my family members, then there would be hell to pay. I actually like David and Emmeline quite a bit, although he's easier to deal with than she is."

"David is very much a man like yourself," answered Pastor Jason. "He loves his family and takes his responsibility to them very seriously. I know that he created a bit of upset before he left. But, well, admit it. You all let him."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Rob, just a bit defensively.

"I think that you were all unduly influenced by the power that he wields over Trelawney's life and the problems that that has created for Phoebe," he said. "Just because David observed something and made a statement about it, doesn't automatically validate his opinion. Some of his opinions were reasonable and some only so in the context of his world. Don't let him judge you all too harshly, especially Hal and Phoebe."

"You have my attention," replied Rob. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"An example of an observation that is valid in both his culture and yours is that American public school is no place for Trelawney," he said. "He took the time to spend a day there and no one has told me that it was not a normal day for her. He is right. She needs a different kind of school. But first you need to get her out of there. She will be perfectly content to study at home for the rest of the year."

"That's not a permanent solution," objected Rob.

"Nobody has said that it is," replied Pastor Jason mildly. "It's a temporary fix while you search for a permanent solution by the finding the right school for her. It also solves the problem of giving her and Phoebe the time together that they need to complete this step in their mourning and move on. I was struck on the day of the anniversary by how raw they both still were."

"Why do you think that is?" asked Rob.

"This year has been one of enormous upheaval in their lives," he explained. "Because there was this constant change and another traumatic confrontation with the past, they never had the time to sit back and really grieve. They both avoided that painful step by focusing on other aspects of their lives. And that was only too easy. You seem to forget that Phoebe was in Hal's employ at the time of the tragedy and never took a break last year.

"Any other job would have given her a bereavement leave of absence during which time she and Trelawney could have had the time they needed alone together to come to grips with their loss. Nobody ever thought of that. But sooner or later the perpetual motion of avoidance, so to speak, always catches up with you. It could not have gone on much longer without one or both of them falling into a serious clinical depression."

"That makes sense," replied Rob. "None of us has really experienced such a great loss. Even though Hal lost his wife, he still had the children. And we were not nearly so far away as their family. When they lost both parents suddenly and simultaneously, Phoebe and Trelawney were really cut adrift."

"Cut adrift and far from home," added Pastor Jason. "They were both experiencing many unknown emotions. But David's perspective that they should have come home to consult with the family elders about their futures is only valid up to a point. There was nothing stopping him from getting on a plane a year ago and coming out to talk with them when they didn't return immediately. And why did he leave his youngest daughter as their only interlocutor with the larger clan?"

"When you put it that way," he said. "I think that you may be onto something."

"Remember that Emmeline is a little younger than Phoebe," he said. "She is more sophisticated, which makes her seem older, but she is still a girl in her twenties. Now the excuse was probably that she is the closest to her two cousins. And she is. So as a result, she accepted that the reason that they were staying in America was to keep your son's family intact. But she knew that there was something between Hal and Phoebe. Sending in Cholmondeley was a 'too little, too late' attempt to fix her mistake."

"But that worked out for the best," he replied.

"However, no one knew that at the time, except for Trelawney," Pastor Jason said. "And it took Aunt Agatha and Aunt Justine's large dose of family medicine to uncover that key bit of information. It was ultimately critical to the safety of the sisters. Their Cousin William Figalilly will not let him anywhere near here.

"But he has issues of his own. He has sworn to kill Cholmondeley before he comes within a mile of Trelawney again. He means that. He has a very deep sense of family loyalty and honor. He is also very impulsive. For the situation that he is in, it is not a good combination."

"What can we do about it?" asked Rob.

"Absolutely nothing," replied the pastor. "Be grateful that he will keep Cholmondeley away, but pray that he doesn't feel that he has to resort to violence. Such an act would damn his soul forever. It would be devastating for one such as Trelawney that he killed in her name. The guilt would be tremendous, even though she would in no way bear any responsibility."

"What are the odds of that happening?" asked Rob.

"It's not a matter of odds. It's not even a matter of kismet. There is no way to predict such an impulsive disruption of fate," he said. "It is like the death of the girls' parents by a drunk driver. It was a foolish and violent action that has disrupted their destiny and sent shock waves through the family. It's one of the reasons why their grief is so deep and as a result some of their choices have been poor. I'm not just talking about Phoebe and Trelawney now. But don't tell the girls about William. It would create unnecessary anxiety."

"I won't," said Rob. "I'm still worried about my son Hal though."

"In what way?"

"He seems to be having a hard time accepting Trelawney as part of his family," replied Rob.

"Yes, and I am surprised by that," admitted Pastor Jason. "After all, he was her gallant knight for a long time. But as I told Catherine, he's under a lot of pressure now. He has still not figured out a good way of balancing work and family. After the baby is born, he will have a household with five children to deal with. He put even more pressure on himself by vowing not repeat that mistake from his first marriage."

Rob looked surprised.

"The solution of moving Trelawney down to your house is not a permanent one either," he explained. "But he can't leave all those children for Phoebe to deal with alone. And she needs his time as well. She loves him very much and once she gets beyond those early infant months, she will be looking for him to fill her needs as a wife. The children, especially the boys, need him as a father."

"David really scolded him before he left regarding Trelawney. And I'm afraid that Catherine and I gave him a hard time too," answered Rob.

"Well, he did kind of need a scolding," said Pastor Jason. "Now perhaps three were a bit excessive, but hopefully you woke him up to the fact that he needs to make some changes in the way that he does business, so to speak, with his family. It's not just about Trelawney, although in a very real way she was the 'canary in the coal mine.'"

"Maybe," said Rob doubtfully.

"Let me guess," he said. "Hal is very happy with the present circumstances. Trelawney is not only living down the street, she is not in school so Phoebe can spend time with her at a time when no one else needs her."

"That's true."

"And I'm also guessing that he may be seeing this as a permanent, rather than temporary arrangement?" he continued.

"He hasn't said as much," replied Rob. "But I suspect that that is true as well."

"And he still has long days at work and brings home more work for nights and weekends?"

"Yes, pastor," admitted Rob once more. "What are you getting at?"

"If you really want to help your son," he answered. "You need to get him to admit that he needs to put his family first. He really does know this, but he allows his time allocation to be driven by his job. It's an insidious trap that many men fall into. Then their children grow up and they realize they never knew them. They retire and realize that they really don't know their wives either. From what I can see, that never happened to you and Catherine."

"No, it didn't," he said. "But I guess that's obvious. I liked my job very much, but I still made time to be a scout leader, coach teams, and volunteer at church. Catherine went back to teaching and enjoyed it, but always put the family first. Now Hal does a little bit if coaching, but he isn't nearly as involved in his children's lives as I was."

"Why do you suppose that is?"

Rob thought for a moment. That was a hard one. When Hal was married to Helen he never spent much time at home either. Establishing a career at a prestigious university is very time consuming. As a former graduate student herself, she understood his ambitions and fully supported them. She also had her mother to help her and keep her company when she needed it. That let Hal off the hook.

However, in one of his darker moments of grief after she died, he admitted that he had deep regrets about this. He seemed to be falling into the same pattern. Phoebe was fighting against it, but it was a losing battle. Hal was a very dedicated scientist, to both research and teaching. He didn't want to give up either.

"Well," Rob finally said. "I suppose that his career is much more of a vocation to him than mine ever was to me. I think that it could be the teaching component that really consumes his time. He is not only a scientist himself, he also wants to inspire the next generation."

"In the end," replied Pastor Jason. "The decision is up to him. But if he wants to be a strong part of his family and in fact wants his family to be stronger, he may have to sacrifice some of his professional goals. You can guide him, but ultimately it's his choice. I would advise that you help him to consciously make the choice rather than allowing it to become a _de facto_ decision. Don't let him lose the control he now has to change things."

"As usual Pastor, your wisdom is greatly valued," he said. "Now I think that Catherine will be bringing Trelawney in shortly, so I had better be on my way."

"I hope that I've been a help," he replied.

"Yes, you have," said Rob. "You've given me a lot to think and pray on. I feel very blessed to know you."

"And I feel blessed to know you," answered Pastor Jason.

Rob left the office with his heart feeling a lot lighter. As always, Pastor Jason could not solve his problems for him, but he had given him some common sense advice for moving forward. It always amazed him that when the good pastor spoke, his words were simple and logical, and in their own way profound. He had an enormous understanding of human nature. But he was a very young man, by his standards anyway. He wondered how he had managed to accumulate so much wisdom in such a short lifetime.

**Trelawney's Tales**

Jason was happy that he was finally going to have a chance to sit down and talk directly with the subject of his three previous conversations. He strongly suspected that he would find her happier than she had been since he had known her. Of course Rob was right that keeping her home from school was not a permanent solution to the problem, but it might prove an excellent stop gap measure until a more appropriate school could be found. Starting her in a new school in September would mean that she would be able to spend significant quality time with her sister during her pregnancy, and once the child was born have her own life to move into.

As he had predicted, Trelawney floated into his office like the butterfly child that she was. She fondly gave Catherine a kiss on the cheek before she came in, earning herself a little pat on the back. She cheerfully plopped herself in the chair in front of him and looked at him expectantly.

"Well, miss," he said with a smile. "You're looking very chipper today."

"Oh, I am, Pastor Jason, I am."

"You're certainly not the sad little soul that I left behind went I went to Missouri," he remarked. "What happened to change your mood?"

"The most wonderful thing has happened last week," she replied. "Mama Kate allowed me to stay home from school and I have had hours and hours with my Phoebe! I am so pleased! And so is Maisie!

"Really?" He suddenly felt worried.

"Oh, yes," she said. "My little Maisie knows when I am there and she is so happy. I read to her and play her music on the piano. I think that even Phoebe can feel it when she is happy. And of course Phoebe is so much happier. The Professor is happier too. I am no longer in the way. Perhaps he will begin to like me again."

"Now, Trelawney," he said patiently. "Professor Everett has never stopped loving you."

"Now, Pastor Jason," she said mischievously. "You know better than to try and play word games with me. Of course I know that he loves me. But it has been awhile since he has really and truly liked me."

Of course, I know better, thought Jason. The little imp is certainly feeling her oats today. However she will have to stop this kind of talk about Maisie.

"Trelawney," he replied a little sternly. "You know better than to talk about your communication with Maisie. It must disturb Phoebe."

"Yes, indeed it does," she said seriously. "And I am now most careful when I speak with her. She is quite worried that I will say something when someone else can hear. But I have been very careful not to say anything even to her now. But you are my angel, so of course I can tell you."

"Of course," he smiled and shook his head. "And of course you have been bursting to tell someone. I am pleased that you are beginning to develop some self-control."

"It is not easy," she admitted. "And of course you know that. But I have a very important question. May you please tell Mama Kate that I do not have to go to school? She is quite a fine teacher. And Hal is better than any of my real math and science teachers. I do believe that he will make a fine university professor some day, just like his father."

Jason began to wonder which was worse, Trelawney in the depths of despair or Trelawney in the heights of joy. She really should not continue this talk, even with him.

"I cannot tell your Mama Kate to do anything, Trelawney," he said firmly. "And you know it. I am only here to advise. And I am now advising you to watch what you say about the future. You do not want Uncle David to return for you."

"Oh I very much doubt he will return to take me away," she replied happily. "Elspeth has told me that before he came to America, Auntie Anna told him that if I move in, then she moves out. She is done raising her children and if Meg was so foolish as to have a child at her age, she would not be so foolish as to clean up her mess."

It's a pity that the dog is such a little tattler, thought Jason. I would like to have a sit down with her, although I doubt that I could pry her away from Trelawney long enough to have a private word. But Trelawney's revelation had put all of David's words to the family in a new light. He was using the threat of taking the child away as leverage to make her life, and by extension Phoebe's life, better. He was a very shrewd man.

"Well," he said. "It will serve you best if you don't pass along that little tidbit to anyone else. If they know then they won't take his recommendations seriously."

"Oh, I know that," she answered matter of factly. "But I still must be concerned with Aunt Henrietta. She would not listen to Uncle David. He was quite perturbed when he returned from their sit down. I could not discern what she said, but it was something that upset him very much."

"What upsets him is of no concern to you," he said sharply. "Stay close to your Mama Kate and you will be fine."

"And if I don't have to go to school, I would be much closer to Mama Kate more of the time," she said sweetly. "And Phoebe would be too. You know that makes Mama Kate very happy."

"Yes, I know," he replied, relaxing.

"Do you have anything else to scold me about?" she asked sweetly. "I would like to go home and help Mama Kate make dinner. The family is coming and Hal is going to help me with my science assignment. Even Mr. Everett doesn't understand it. Fancy that!"

He let her go skipping out of the room to Catherine. She then gave her a big hug and they left hand in hand. He felt a twinge of regret that the girl would someday return to Phoebe. She would be thrilled, but no doubt Catherine would miss her. However, he also knew that they now had a lifelong bond. They each filled an empty hole in the other's life. It was very touching.

He had to admit that his conversations with Rob and Catherine had been somewhat amusing. They were so focused on the questions that they wanted to ask him, that they didn't realize how much he already knew about the Figalilly family and what was happening back in the village and abroad. However, he could not let them get too close to an understanding of either the clan or their people.

They were a special race of people and there were not many of them left. However, those that there were still had important work to do. He could not let this work be disrupted by well-meaning outsiders prying into their lives. The situation with which he was faced was very tricky, but he had been in tighter spots. He had never met a challenge yet that he was not able to conquer. He had no intention of allowing this one to be the first.

But it was time to return home to his own family for dinner. He had missed them as well. He would need to spend most of the night in prayer, but before that he would give his wife and children the attention that they deserved. He considered himself very fortunate to work for a boss who placed such a high value on family time.

_To be continued . . ._


	3. Chapter 3

**Hal's Hopes**

As Hal walked home from the bus stop on that Monday afternoon, he hoped that Trelawney would go back to school already. Pastor Jason had finally returned from his meeting in Missouri. It was about time. He knew that Grammy had been keeping her home from school because she wanted to hear what he had to say about Uncle David's visit. She and the other adults had been pretty upset by him. Personally, he had liked the guy. He was kind of like Mom and Emmeline because when you talked to him he really listened and didn't treat you like a kid. He had asked Hal a lot about school and the classes he took, especially the math and science.

Hal had also told him about his project for the science fair that was coming up next month. He didn't know why he told him. It was a secret and he didn't want anyone in the family to know about it until the fair opened. But when they were talking it just kind of slipped out. He promised not to tell anyone and Hal knew that he could trust him. He was that kind of a guy. He was very interested in the project. He even had some ideas for him to consider that he hadn't thought of. That was pretty neat for a guy who said that he had never studied science before.

Uncle David called himself just a simple, country shopkeeper trying to make a living to support his family. But he knew lots of stuff. And he hadn't even gone to college. He said that he didn't have time. He had gotten married young and had to support his family. He used to have an uncle who had never married and he worked for him in the shop. When he died, he left the shop to him because he said that he earned it. Hal thought that it was kind of neat, especially if you wanted to be a shopkeeper for the rest of your life.

When he left, Mom and Trelawney were both very sad because he had given Trelawney to Grammy and Grampie to take care of until she could live with Mom again. It was funny, because Grammy and Grampie were already her legal guardians, but this seemed more important to them. And if she didn't come home, then Uncle David could take her back to England whenever he wanted. Maybe that was what had scared them. Hal could see that they didn't think that Trelawney was going to come back home to live anytime soon. He kind of figured that they were right.

He knew that Dad was upset on the day that Uncle David left because Mom went back to Grammy's to spend the rest of the day with Trelawney. She didn't even say goodbye or tell them where she was going. She just got up and left. He followed her up to house, but quickly came back home and yelled at them to do their chores and their homework. Then he went into his study and slammed the door. Hal decided that it would only be worse if they didn't do what he asked, so he made sure that all of the chores were done and then they went upstairs to do their homework.

Butch and Prudence didn't want Dad to get mad at them, so they did what Hal told them. They did their chores very quietly. They didn't complain at all. Even Butch realized that Dad would blow his stack if they bothered him. Prudence kind of tiptoed around with big scared eyes.

When they were done with their homework they all sat together in their room. Prudence looked worried.

"What should we do now?" she asked anxiously. "We did everything that Daddy told us to. Why isn't Mommy here? Why did she go back to Grammy's house?"

"I think she went back to see Trelawney again," said Hal. "Before she got up from lunch she said that she needed her. She didn't eat anything. I hope that she ate something at Grammy's. She needs to eat for the baby."

"Oh you know Grammy," said Butch. "She'll make sure that she eats. I just wish that she would come home so that we could eat. I'm starving and I'm not even nervous."

"You are too nervous!" said Prudence.

"Okay, maybe a little," said Butch. "I just hope that Dad stays in his study until he cools off. He was sure mad when he came home. Why is he so mad at us? Did we do something wrong that I forgot about?"

"No," said Prudence. "I think that he's mad because Mommy is with Trelawney. I thought that she moved to Grammy's house so that Mommy wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. Now she has Grammy. I don't see why she gets Mommy too."

"It's not the same," said Hal. "You see. Trelawney's only real family is Mom."

"We're her real family," said Prudence.

"I'm not so sure about that," said Butch. "If she was our real family then why did she move out? I thought that she was supposed to be like our sister or something. She sure is annoying like a sister."

"No, she's not," said Prudence. "Daddy doesn't like her because she makes Mommy sad. But if she's here then she makes Mommy sad and if she's not here then she makes Mommy sad. It's no wonder Daddy doesn't like her anymore. All she ever does is make Mommy sad."

"This is stupid," said Hal. "Mom and Trelawney are both sad because they don't have their parents anymore. And they're both sad because Aunt Henrietta is crazy and won't leave them alone. And now they're sad because they can't live together. Dad isn't really mad at Trelawney. But I don't think that Dad's mad at us now either. I think that he's mad because he wants to fix things, but he doesn't know how. Come to think of it, nobody knows how. If they did, then Trelawney would still be living here with us."

"Well, okay. That makes sense in a weird sort of way," said Butch. "Just as long as he's not mad at us. But why can't he talk to us, you know, like the day we went fishing? I mean, he was kind of annoyed at me and Prudence, but at least he talked to us about it."

"I don't know," admitted Hal. "But I'm getting kind of hungry too. I'm going to go into Dad's room and call Grammy. Maybe we can go there to eat."

When Grammy heard that Dad was in the study and they were afraid to bother him, she called back and they let him answer the phone. He came upstairs a few minutes later and said that Grammy wanted them to come to dinner. Butch told him that all the chores were done and so was their homework. Dad didn't say anything. He just looked at them suspiciously and walked out of the room. Hal could see that he thought that they had ratted him out. They didn't mean to. They were just hungry. But none of them had the nerve to tell him that.

Dinner was very quiet. Mom and Trelawney didn't talk and they both looked like they had been crying. Nobody else knew what to say. Grammy tried to ask them some questions about school, but nobody felt like talking. They just said "yes, ma'am" or "no, ma'am" and not much else. She didn't even try to talk to Dad. After a while, she looked at Grampie and sighed. Then she gave up and they finished dinner in silence.

Before they left, Mom and Trelawney spent a long time hugging until Grammy said that Trelawney needed to go upstairs to have her bath. Hal was afraid that they would start crying again. Dad put his arm around Mom and she leaned against him. Hal could see that she was really counting on him for support.

He kissed her head and brushed back her hair. Then they walked home quietly. Mom went up to bed right away. She said that she was very tired. Dad gave her a kiss and she hugged him very tight.

Hal wanted to say something but he didn't know what to say. He wasn't even sure of what was wrong. He thought that Mom would be glad that Uncle David didn't take Trelawney away. Before he went to bed, he peeked into his Mom's bedroom and saw that she was sitting up in bed.

She had a book open in her lap but she wasn't even looking at it. Dad wasn't there. He must have been downstairs working. Hal thought that he should really be with Mom. After all, she was sad and he could do his work any old time. Hal didn't want Mom to be sad all alone, so he took a deep breathe and went into the bedroom.

"Mom," he said. "Do you want me to keep you company for awhile?"

She was startled for a second, but then she gave him a little smile and patted the bed next to her.

He sat down and said, "Is there anything that I can do to make you feel better? Even though I am just a kid and all."

"No, Hal," she said sadly. "I'm afraid that no one can make me feel better right now. I've let my parents down and my sister down. If I were really a good sister then Trelawney would be living with me the way that they had wanted her to. And she wouldn't feel like I had abandoned her. And everyone here at home would be happy."

Hal thought about that for a minute. In one way, she could be right. He couldn't really say what her parents might think, but he knew that she was dead wrong about Trelawney. He really thought that she was being too hard on herself. He said so.

"Mom," he said. "I really think that you are being too hard on yourself. You know that whenever one of us feels like we've disappointed someone, you always tell us that we just need to do our best: if we do our best, then we can't do anything more. I think that you are doing your best.

"I can't say for sure what your parents would have thought. And it's not like we're not happy. I don't know about Dad, but the rest of us are confused and sad. But we're sad because you're sad. But I don't think that Trelawney would ever think in a million, billion years that you let her down or abandoned her. "

"What makes you say that?"

"Trelawney loves you more than anyone," he said. "I don't think that you could ever disappoint her. You taught us that if we really love someone, then we love them just as they are. You always love us no matter what. Did she say that she thought that you abandoned her?"

"No," she said looking down.

"Well, that's because you didn't," he said logically. "It's not like you sent her away or anything. You know that she loves Grammy. And Grammy really loves her. She has her little dog to keep her company. You get to visit her more now. No, you haven't let her down at all. We all make mistakes. Nobody's perfect you know."

"This is different," she answered.

"No it's not," he said firmly. "Besides, Uncle David said that maybe someday she would come home to us. I hope that she will."

"Why is that?" she asked, smiling a little.

"She can be a pain sometimes, but she is also a really nice person," he said. "She teases me because she's like my little sister, but she teases you too. And she really is your little sister. But she's never mean and she does lots of nice things without being told. And I don't think that she just loves you, I think that she loves all of us. She's just a loving kind of person."

"Do you love her, Hal?"

It was kind of a mushy question, but Hal knew that she really wanted him to answer truthfully. He was glad that he could tell her what she wanted to hear and still tell the truth. He knew that if he lied or fibbed then she would know it right away.

"Yes, I do," he replied. "Even when she's a brat. But you're tired and I think that you should go to sleep now."

She smiled and put down her book.

"Goodnight, Hal," she said. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. You have actually made me feel a little better."

"I wish that I could make you feel a lot better," he answered. "But I'm just a kid. I hope that that doesn't disappoint you."

"Hal, you could never . . ." she started and then she stopped and gave him another, slightly bigger, smile. "I see your point. Thank you. You may be a scientist, but you have a very big heart. I feel very blessed that you are my son."

This time it was Hal's turn to smile. But inside he thought that Dad could have made her feel even better if he had just spent some time with her. Maybe that was why she felt so bad. Maybe she thought that she had let him down more than anyone. She must be really tired. Even he could have told her that that wasn't true. Dad was just being Dad. When he didn't know what to do he did his work.

Hal thought that she had changed since she had been their Nanny. When she was their Nanny she was always able to see the bright side of things. She always knew how to make them feel better. But when she was their Nanny, and not their Mom, she was really not a part of their family the way she was now.

When she was Nanny, and Dad spent too much time working, she would scold him and make him pay more attention to them. He would get annoyed at her and roll his eyes, but she could always make him do things her way. They would laugh and smile about stuff like that. It never seemed serious. And when he would start ignoring them again, she was never hurt or sad, she just laughed when the phone rang and he had to change his plans and do stuff with them. Hal remembered that he always thought that she was the one making the phone ring. But even though she was Nanny, he didn't think that even she could do that.

Now that she was their Mom, she seemed to be like them. Dad got busy at work and didn't have time for them as usual. But it was kind of weird now. Instead of the distractions coming up to make him pay attention, she wanted him to pay attention on his own. Maybe it was because she loved him and she wanted him to pay attention to her because he loved her, not because the phone rang and he suddenly had time. But Dad was Dad, even though now he was her husband, and even if she was going to have a baby.

"Aw, man," he finally said. "After all the times you took care of me, I guess I owe you. Besides, I promised Uncle David. But, come to think of it, even if I hadn't promised him, I would still take care of you. I love you, Mom. You taught us to always take care of the people we love. Goodnight, Mom."

He gave her a kiss goodnight and tucked her in. It felt kind of weird acting like the parent, but it was a nice kind of weird. It made him feel like he was growing up. But that kind of made sense too. After all, he was going to high school next year. He thought that it would make her feel better if Butch and Prudence said goodnight too. So he went and got them. He didn't say anything special to them. He just told them to say goodnight.

"Goodnight, Mommy," said Prudence sweetly. "Things will look better in the morning. They always do you know."

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"That's what you always tell me when I feel bad," she replied. "And you're right. I just wanted to remind you in case you forgot."

Mom gave her a little smile.

Butch gave her a hug and a kiss and didn't even make a face because he thought that it was too mushy.

"Goodnight, Mom," he said. "I love you."

As they left, Mom looked at Hal with a question in her eyes, but Hal just shrugged because he hadn't told them to say anything. They said those things on their own. After all, she was the one who taught them all to be nice like that. She tried to teach Dad that too. Hal was beginning to understand the old saying about it being hard to teach "an old dog new tricks." It was certainly true about Dad.

Hal was glad that Mom seemed happier when she turned off the light and settled in. He hoped that Dad would come upstairs already and say something to her to make her feel better too. He tried to listen after he went to bed, but he fell asleep before he heard him come up.

Mom was a lot happier when they came home from school the next day because Grammy was going to keep Trelawney home for the whole week. That way, she and Mom could have lots of time together during the day. Hal was glad because Mom was glad. Grammy told the school that Trelawney was sick, but that she would keep up with her classes if they gave her assignments to him. After all, she was a real teacher.

Hal was glad that Mom and Trelawney were happy, but it was a pain to get her assignments. As usual, Mr. Preston was being an idiot. Instead having her teachers send her assignments to guidance, he made Hal go around to all her teachers to collect them. Her history teacher Mr. Burns said that it was a waste of Hal's time and it would be just as easy for him to send the assignments to the guidance office.

He was a cool guy, but Mrs. Fountain was an even bigger pain than Mr. Preston. She never had the assignment ready and complained to Hal the whole time he had to wait for it. The other teachers weren't so bad. The Spanish teacher even said that she hoped that Trelawney wasn't very sick.

So did Hal, but he didn't say anything. Whenever he gave her the assignments, Trelawney thanked him a lot and said that she was sorry to be such a bother. But she also told him that he was the best math and science teacher that she ever had. That made him feel a little better. He knew that she wanted to hug him, but he was glad she didn't. That would have been a little too much thankfulness.

Mom did give him a hug. She said that she knew that it was a pain for him to get the assignments, but she was proud that she had a son that was willing to do that for her. She needed her time with her sister and if he wouldn't help out, then she probably couldn't have it. But a hug from your Mom is different from one from your sort of sister. Moms are allowed to do that.

Tonight they were having dinner at Grammy's. At dinner she announced that Trelawney would not be going to school for the rest of the year. She was going to teach her at home. Hal was not going to have to get her assignments and bring them home anymore. Grammy would get them directly from the school. She said that it was time that Mr. Preston earned his pay. Uncle David had said that he was a leech on the taxpayers, whatever that meant.

Mom and Trelawney were both real happy. So were they, because now Mom could spend lots of time with her sister and still have lots of time for them. He was glad because now he wouldn't have to worry about Trelawney at school anymore. And in September, Grammy and Grampie were going to find a new school for her. Even though they were happy, Butch and Prudence were jealous.

"If Trelawney doesn't have to go to school," said Butch. "Then I don't see why I have to."

"Do you think that it would be easier if I taught you at home?" asked Grammy.

"What do you mean?" said Butch, who had been hoping to get out of going to school.

"I mean that just because Trelawney isn't in school doesn't mean that she still won't have lessons," she explained. "It will be like she has lots of homework to do all the time."

"Oh," said Butch. "Maybe I should stay in school after all."

"But then Trelawney is going to have all that time with Mommy," protested Prudence.

"What's wrong with that?" asked Hal. "You'll be in school anyway."

"I'd rather be home with Mommy," replied Prudence pouting.

The grownups all looked at each other. They didn't know what to say, as usual. But Hal wasn't going to let Prudence spoil things for Mom and Trelawney with her whining.

"Why don't you consider it practice for September," suggested Hal. "When the baby stays home with Mom all day and you have to go to school? Are you going to be jealous then?"

Everyone looked at Prudence. She mumbled, no, but they all knew that she would be jealous anyway. Still, Mom gave him the grateful smile that she always gave him when he smoothed things over. Trelawney smiled at him too. He hoped that she wouldn't start calling him her gallant knight or something dumb like that. He wished that she could figure out how to be special without being weird. But he figured that that was impossible.

Dad wasn't at dinner with them that night because he had too much work to do at the university. It seemed like he was never home anymore. When they walked home, he put his arm around Mom. He could see that even though she was happy, she was tired. And she really missed Dad.

He wished that Dad would figure out if he really wanted to be around or not. It seemed that he only wanted to be with Mom when he was the one who had the time. Then, it was almost like just because he had the time, she was supposed to ignore everyone else and give him all her attention. For some reason that bugged him. He didn't know why. It just did.

When they got home, the door to Dad's study was closed. That meant that he was home, but working. He told Mom that he would put the kids to bed. She went into the kitchen to make some tea. Hal knew that she was hoping that Dad would have some time for her, but it was getting late. She was pretty tired. Hal guessed that she wanted to tell Dad about Trelawney not going to school. Then maybe he would be in a better mood.

**First Flutters**

When Hal got home from work, he read a note on his desk that said that the family had gone up to his parents' house for dinner. There was nothing unusual about that. If Phoebe was tired, she was grateful that Mother enjoyed having them over. Mother was also good about making sure that the kids did their homework, so that was another benefit.

He was aware that Pastor Jason was back and that no doubt a parade of Everetts had been through his office today. He knew that they were all concerned about Uncle David's visit, Aunt Henrietta's shenanigans, and the situation in general. Mother had just kept Trelawney at home for a whole week from school.

It didn't say much about the school that with a minimum of effort she had kept up with her classes. She and Phoebe had spent their days together and were both happier and more at peace with the situation for it. He was glad that mother had thought of it. The sisters had time together and Phoebe had time for the kids and himself.

He knew it was selfish, but it was also true. Phoebe's relationship with her sister was obviously different from her relationship with them. Her oddness and nightmares were certainly disruptive to the family. Despite the fact that Aunt Henrietta's premonitions were a lot of nonsense, they still bothered him. But Phoebe would have been miserable if Uncle David had taken her away. This was a good compromise.

Anything that made her happier made him happy. Things were on an even keel and he hoped that Pastor Jason would let them stay that way. He was seriously considering going to the school himself and asking that Trelawney be permitted to do some kind of home study program. His mother was a former teacher and apparently Hal was a better math and science teacher than the ones that she had at school.

About fifteen minutes later, he heard them all come in. The kids went upstairs and he knew that Phoebe had gone into the kitchen. They all knew better than to bother him when he had lots of papers to grade and he had just given midterms. As he continued to grade them he was feeling very good about things. The kids were in bed and he had just refocused his mind on his work when he heard a startled noise.

"Oh!"

Hal heard Phoebe's cry in the kitchen from the study and shot up. When he rushed in he saw that she was slightly bent over and holding her belly.

"Oh!" she cried out again.

"Phoebe what is it? Are you all right? Do we need to get you to the doctor?" his voice was filled with concern.

But when she looked up at him her face was radiant. "Hal, I felt it!"

"Felt what, darling?"

"The baby, Hal. I can feel the baby moving, oh! inside of me. Hal, I didn't know it would be like this!" she said more quietly. He put one arm around her shoulders and laid his other hand over her stomach. He knew that it would be a few more weeks before he would be able to feel the baby move, himself, but if she could feel the child . . . She looked back up into his eyes and her lips parted. He had no choice but to kiss them.

He could feel her hunger. It seemed odd to him that a woman more than four months pregnant should still feel such passionate desires, even as she felt the child moving. But who knew what all those pregnancy hormones were doing? He certainly had no objections and the doctor had told him that it was perfectly safe. He recalled the doctor smiling broadly as he said,

"You're a lucky man, Professor Everett, most men get shut out in the cold!"

Hal knew that very well. It seemed that the minute his first wife had discovered that she was pregnant with each of his other three children, she had shut herself down to him physically. Then after each birth, it was more than a year before she was willing to make love with him again. Comparing notes with his buddies he had discovered that this was fairly common with their wives as well, although it seemed that compared with the others, Helen's behavior had been extreme.

However, Helen had never embraced lovemaking with the same enthusiasm as Phoebe. In the beginning he had thought that it was because it was all new for her. Her desires had also been frustrated and simmering for months before he had finally given in. But now he realized that it was her nature. Under her cool, efficient exterior she was a deeply passionate woman.

Even after their marriage, she had maintained her cool facade to the outside world. In the bedroom, it was entirely another story. There were very few nights that it was safe to leave the bedroom door unlocked, in case one of the children walked in. And it wasn't just her desire to have a child. She got a very genuine pleasure from the carnal act.

The fact that she could actually feel the baby move calmed his own fears that with all the recent anxiety in her life she might lose her. She had been so proud that in the last few weeks as her belly began to show the soft curves that indicated that a child was growing inside. He enjoyed watching her when she thought there was no one looking. She would look at herself in wonder and gently massage her stomach.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a million emotions, all of which were centered on the little miracle within. Then they flashed for an instant and he realized that the baby was making her presence felt again. He smiled knowingly.

"What?" she asked.

"You better get used to this, sweetheart," he replied. "In a few weeks, that child is going to be squirming and kicking every time you try to relax."

"Really?" she asked curiously.

"I believe that when you're up and moving around, the baby enjoys the motion and sleeps. When you sit down or stop, that is when she goes into action," he answered.

"And what makes you such an expert?"

He looked at her sheepishly.

"Helen had a few of those 'what to expect when you're pregnant' books around before Hal was born. I was curious, so I read one," he explained. "It gave me a lot of warning of what I could expect as well."

She gave him an odd look and then led him out of the kitchen and up to their room. After locking the door, she lay back on the bed and held out her arms. She said, "Make love to me!"

"I suppose that this is to refute another one of my previous expectations?" he said with a grin.

Looking back at him seductively, she said, "Refute nothing! I want you to make love to me!"

Deciding that it would be a shame to waste any time arguing, he fell on the bed beside her and began to kiss her. She stroked his hair for a moment and then loosened his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. To make things easier, he sat up to help her out of her clothing. He always enjoyed undressing her.

As he uncovered her he enjoyed exploring her with his hands and his mouth. As her body enlarged with the child, her response to his touch had become more sensitive. He tried to be careful not to arouse her too quickly. He enjoyed their foreplay. It made the final act all the more exciting, if he could hold her off until she was begging for it.

Once she lay before him in the pale light of the bed lamp, he looked down at her with pleasure. Without a word he knew his eyes conveyed how beautiful he found her. She smiled back smugly. She was quite proud of her new voluptuousness. Then, being careful not to put too much pressure on the baby, he fell on her again. He wanted to be gentle, but her passion was strong and stirred him powerfully. She clearly wanted him aroused. Her hunger was intense tonight. He that she would not last long before he would have to take her.

She lay beneath him enjoying the feeling of his body against her own. She couldn't understand it herself, but she still felt deeply attracted to her husband. It seemed counterintuitive. After all, the biological function of sex was to procreate. That they had clearly done. Yet she still wanted him as much as ever.

He helped her to find a comfortable position and then he entered her. When he peaked she rode the wave to her own climax. When they were spent she felt deeply satisfied. Looking at his face, she knew that once again she had matched his desire with her own. She found it very pleasurable satisfy her lover and herself as well.

She was beginning to feel the power of her own sexuality. She enjoyed the fact that her husband could be distracted from everything else with even a hint of the pleasures she could offer him in the bedroom. She felt that her child was proof that their physical relationship was more than mere sensuality. She was a fertile woman at the peak of her sexual powers. She intended to fully enjoy them for as long as she could. She knew that she would eventually grow too large for this kind of lovemaking.

Afterwards, they lay together. She lay on her back, stretched out before him, while he lay on his side to get a better view. Hal was gently tracing the outline of her swelling stomach. The gesture was a combination of sensuality and affection, designed to express his appreciation for both the mother and the child within. Within her womb, she felt the response of her daughter. She knew her father already by sound and touch. She was looking forward to the day when Hal would also be aware of his daughter's response. She suspected that he would enjoy it.

"There she is," he said softly, "Our little Margaret. Never giving her mother a moment's rest."

"Yes, there she is. Although I always think of her as Maisie," she responded softly. He always seemed to enjoy referring to the baby as Margaret. "But what makes you say that?"

He gave her another sheepish grin.

"Okay, what else did the baby book say?" she asked patiently.

"It said that when you're carrying a girl that the morning sickness is worse. All those female hormones, you know," he answered.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Hal, that is an old wife's tale that has been going around forever. I am sure that it has no scientific basis."

They looked at each other and laughed. It was the first time that Hal had heard her laugh with any real joy since Uncle David had come to visit. Whatever Pastor Jason had told her had made her feel much better. He didn't really care. He just wanted to her to relax and smile again. Now that she had reached this milestone in her pregnancy, she should be smiling a lot. The morning sickness was over. The fatigue was not quite so bad. And now she could feel her baby move.

His midterms were still lying on his desk, but he was loath to return to them. Instead, he settled himself comfortably in bed with his wife. She curled up in his embrace and closed her eyes. He pulled back her hair to kiss her cheek and realized that she was smiling with joy and contentment. He reached down to rest his hand on her stomach and she snuggled closer. He nuzzled her behind the ear and whispered something about this being a pleasant little break from his work.

Phoebe, however, was determined that tonight she was going to keep him in bed with her. She was tired of falling asleep alone. So she decided that she would make sure that he stayed with her.

She turned herself on her back again and reached up to pull his lips to her own. Opening her mouth widely she kissed him deeply once more. She then grasped him to pull him closer and pressed his body into hers. She could feel his arousal again as she ran her hands up and down his back.

She knew that she had succeeded when his mouth trailed down he found one of her rapidly expanding breasts. Before he took it he whispered, "You are insatiable."

She looked at him through heavily lidded eyes, "I don't hear any complaints."

She moaned softly at the stimulation of his tongue. She knew that he was now able to taste the sweet liquid that would feed her child once she was born. Her breasts now leaked whenever she was aroused. As he fell to his enjoyment of her once more, all other thoughts left his head. As his last conscious thought, he decided that his midterms could wait. Her passion was like an intoxicating drug. It was impossible for him to think clearly once he was aroused.

After they were both spent and she had curled up again in his arms, he had a random thought. He wondered if her seductive overtures were not a way of getting his full attention when he was busy. She knew that he was unable to resist her whenever she offered herself to him like this. It was a bit discomforting for him to realize that even when they were together and he was not working, he was distracted by his thoughts of his teaching and his research. And she was able to discern his every thought.

As he tenderly held her closer, he could hear her sigh once again with contentment. When they were on their honeymoon, he had promised her that he would give her the attention that she deserved and would not regret any lost opportunities to spend time with her. It had not been what she would have called a "piecrust" promise, easily made, easily broken. It had been a vow to her as sacred to him as any of their marriage vows.

In the back of his mind he considered the fact that he had always tried to blame Trelawney for coming between them. It made him uncomfortable to realize that perhaps it might, just might, be his work. But that was ridiculous. He didn't spend that much time at work. And this was midterm time. No, once midterms were over things would go back to normal. It was all good. He just happened to be lucky enough to have married a woman with a very strong sex drive and a large appetite. It was a most pleasurable prospect for the future.

The next morning at breakfast, he announced that he was going to call the middle school to see about putting Trelawney on a home study program. There was silence at the table and the kids all looked at each.

"What?" he asked puzzled.

"Dad," said Butch. "Grammy did that yesterday. In September, Trelawney is even going to a new school."

"Yeah, Dad," added Hal. "Uncle David is going to pay for a private school."

"How come nobody told me?" he asked, feeling annoyed. "Why am I always the last to know?"

"Grammy told us last night at dinner," answered Prudence.

There was silence again and it was obvious that all the children were suppressing smiles. The unspoken statement was that if he had not missed dinner with the family he would have known. Not for the first time, he was the last to know because he was absent from the house. Hal looked at Phoebe helplessly, but she was no help.

"I believe that we had other things on our minds when we finally saw each other last night," she commented drily.

He looked back at her and realized that she was amused too. But she also had an amorous glint in her eyes to remind him of exactly what had been on their minds last night.

"Why fight it?" he said throwing his hands up in the air.

As he walked out of the kitchen, he could hear the explosion of laughter behind him. But he was actually smiling himself. He had certainly not forgotten what was on his mind last night. And he had gotten his way in the matter without lifting a finger himself or having to persuade anyone. He found himself whistling as he walked out the front door and to the car.

**Epilogue**

Rob was amused when Phoebe came rushing into the house the next day. He, Catherine, and Trelawney were still eating breakfast when she burst into the kitchen and announced that last night she had felt the baby move for the first time. Trelawney squealed with delight and Catherine had tears in her eyes. He had to admit that even he was moved. It was a huge moment for a first time mother.

The three women were clearly happier than they had been in a long time. It was almost as if Maisie had sensed the positive direction that things were moving in and wanted to have her say. Mentally, he shrugged. He had given up trying to understand the girls. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, he thought, or, better yet, get out of their way.

Because he had three sons, he had basically been living in a man's world most of his life. Now he felt outnumbered by females. They were interesting and emotional creatures, very different from his sons. He knew that Catherine was enjoying her belated motherhood of daughters. And Phoebe and Trelawney, despite their issues, were very loving. It was not an exclusive love. It included all they knew.

They had a very special relationship, but as David had said, it in no way interfered with Phoebe's relationship with her husband. As he watched the three women/girls chattering away in front of him he realized that this little "hen party" was nothing that his son, or he for that matter, would want to be a part of. Hal's view of Trelawney as a threat was really pretty misguided, especially if for once he would stop and make an accurate assessment of his own life and priorities.

There were really very few times that Phoebe had consciously chosen to spend time with her sister, rather him. More often, he was the one who was consciously choosing to spend time at the university, rather than at home. More often than not, in recent months Trelawney shared her sister's pain rather than caused it. As Pastor Jason said, they were both still pretty raw.

To a certain extent, Hal was also still living with the residual emotional effects of his own grief for his first wife. In order to cope with the loss, he had buried many of his feelings and had taken refuge in his professional career at the expense of his children and family life. Like most people, he found it easier to recognize such flaws in others rather than himself. He had recognized some of this to a certain extent, but was resisting making some of the difficult choices that he needed to, in order to change things.

"It was just like everyone always said it was," she was saying. "Like a butterfly fluttering inside."

"Are you sure it wasn't indigestion?" he asked teasingly. "That meal last night was a little spicy."

"Rob!" said Phoebe and Catherine together.

"I can tell you from experience," said Catherine firmly. "That a mother knows the difference. If you've never been pregnant than you have nothing to say about it."

"Hal thought that he did," chuckled Phoebe. "He apparently had read one of Helen's books on what to expect when you're pregnant, so he thinks that he's an expert."

"Well, that was his first mistake," said Rob.

"And what was his second?" Trelawney asked.

"Telling your sister," he replied. "Any man knows that there are some things that you don't touch with a ten-foot pole. Telling your pregnant wife how she feels, what she should feel, or when she will feel it, is at the top of the list."

"That's true," laughed Phoebe. "I enjoyed laying to rest another one of his previous misconceptions last night, after I finally got his attention."

The three females exchanged mischievous glances and Rob decided that a strategic departure was definitely in order. He got up from the table.

"Congratulations, Phoebe," he said fondly, giving her a fatherly kiss on the head. "I'll leave you girls to your fussing and head off to my workroom."

"Thank you, Rob," she replied, beaming. "I'm sorry if I interrupted your breakfast."

"I'm not," he admitted. "It makes me very happy to see the three of you so happy. But once you start talking about the . . . um . . . intimate details of pregnancy, it's definitely my cue to exit."

Catherine looked up at him and he could read the joy in her eyes. He remembered how sad she had been when she had lost her mother. She had also been disappointed when they had no more children after Hal. She had always wanted a daughter. But now she had been handed an opportunity to be mother and grandmother to three very special young ladies. She needed them just as much as they needed her.

As he descended down the steps to his male sanctuary, he thought that he really needed to have a man-to-man talk with his son before he said something else foolish. Among other things Hal needed to spend more time at home. That way he wouldn't have to rely on books to understand what was going on with his wife's body. After three previous kids he should certainly know that by now. Rob smiled. It was one of the most exciting parts of fatherhood. He really shouldn't miss it.

Rob had a sneaky suspicion that little Maisie was going to be "one such as Trelawney," to use a Figalilly rhetorical construct. _In utero_, she seemed to be fully aware of what was happening around her. He was amused to consider what Hal would think and do once he realized that his daughter was like his sister-in-law in this way. It was all the more reason to come to grips with her special brand of uniqueness now.

Was it really so bad that the child believed that she could speak to angels and animals? Was there anything truly bad about a child whose imagination was such that she lived with the notion that her fantasies and dreams were a reality unto themselves? And since when did sweetness and kindness become crimes? If goodness could be equated with weakness in their world, then perhaps the flaw was in their world, not the child.

Rather than trying to teach Trelawney to adapt to their world, wouldn't it be a radical concept to adapt the world to her? Perhaps her example should be the ideal to strive for. If her goodness and simplicity made the world too dangerous a place for her, it was a very sad commentary on their world.

But right now was a magical time for Phoebe, Trelawney, and the as yet unborn Maisie. He may rant to the good pastor about their quirks and foibles, but he was happy to provide a safe haven to shelter them from the storms of life as they passed through this very special time of their lives together. In an almost odd way it was as if he had been given this mission by God, to love and protect these three vulnerable souls from harm. With Pastor Jason to guide him, he knew that he would not fail. And as always, his beloved wife would be at his side to face the challenge as his comfort and support.

He thought of the intersecting pathways of their lives. There were sorrows as well as joys that had brought them to this time and place. But that is life, and the continuation of life. "Happily ever after" is the end of the story. This moment in time, like so many others that they had experienced in the past six months, was transitional. It was, quite literally, a new beginning. A new life was making her presence known. And that presence was being acknowledged joyfully, by those awaiting her entrance into the world, with great anticipation.

**The End**


End file.
